Decisions! How to Trust Your Intuition and Win
*Photo by Ryan Moreno on Unsplash
By Jill Sylvester
Your best friend just called and asked you to go for a walk. You don’t want to disappoint her, but you have bills to pay and laundry that won’t fold itself. Do you drop everything and go on that walk? Do you even want to walk? If the thought of making this decision stresses you out, you are not alone.
Decisions.
Life is full of them, but it’s not always so easy to make them.
Do you want to hear a secret? You can master the art of making decisions, says Jill Sylvester, author of Trust Your Intuition:100 Ways to Transform Anxiety and Depression for Stronger Mental Health.
I tell my clients the power is within. The key to making good decisions is learning how to harness the power of your intuition. All you have to do is follow these four steps:
Step 1 of Making Good Decisions:
Start Small and Early
It’s all about the little things. The road to making good decisions is paved with small, conscious choices.
Now’s a good time to talk about breakfast. How did you choose what to eat this morning? Was it driven by external factors such as what your favorite Instagram fitness person eats? Or did you reach for a donut because it was quick and felt good?
The choice about what to eat for breakfast is the first deceptively small decision you make each morning. It’s easy to become bewildered by all the options out there. What works best for others doesn’t always work best for you, and that can be frustrating.
Step 2 of Making Good Decisions:
Switch off Autopilot Mode
Seriously. You have to switch off that autopilot mode.
It’s easy to go with the flow and be swayed by other people’s choices, but in order to develop your intuition, you must slow down and get to know yourself better.
Remember the breakfast dilemma? Switch off autopilot tomorrow morning. Be present and ask yourself, “What does my body need at this time?”
Now is the time to watch out for the discernment “gremlins.” This is when these pesky little naysayers will guide you toward sugar, an overload of carbs, and all things that taste great. They’ll tell you: “You will feel so much better if you eat junk.”
This is your lowest self, powered by autopilot mode.
Now, your highest self, that wise, even-keeled, patient inner voice, knows better than this. Your highest self knows you don’t need those types of food to feel well. Listen to it and think about what you need. This is the direction you want to follow. Your highest self knows you better than anyone.
This is your intuition talking.
Step 3 of Making Good Decisions:
Ask An Expert — You
Another great way to boost intuition is to check in with yourself. The next time someone asks you to do something, make it a point to go inward and see how you feel about it.
That walk with your friend? Your knee-jerk reaction might be to reply yes because you don’t want to upset him. But do you have time for a walk? Do you really want to do it?
The next time you are asked to attend an event or go out to eat, stop and ask yourself: do I really want to do this? Take your space and consider your needs.
Check in with your body and take stock. Do you feel expanded, open, relaxed, leaning toward a yes feeling? Or do you feel tight, agitated, restricted, like a no?
When you are faced with a question, take a few minutes to read your own energy in response to what is being asked. After you have checked in with yourself, move ahead in confidence, knowing what feels best for you.
Whether it’s breakfast or an invitation, those gremlins will probably show up again. Their loud, condescending voices will tell you that you aren’t good enough to make a sound decision and that you won’t achieve what you set out to do. Don’t let their voices drown out your inner voice, your intuition. It knows what’s best, and it’s always there.
In my young adult novel, The Land of Blue, twelve-year-old Cassie’s father goes missing into the Land of Blue, a metaphor for addiction, depression, and anxiety. Cassie enters the Land of the Blue to find him and must rely on her inner voice to guide her. Like Cassie, you’ll find that trusting your voice will lead to achieving greatness and operating on a higher frequency.
Flex your intuitive muscle!
Step 4 of Making Good Decisions:
Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect
Never underestimate the power of remaining still. The practice of going within and meditating will make any decision, no matter how small, an exercise to strengthen your ability to make the bigger ones.
Turn inward to your body for clues. Your stomach might ache or burn if you contemplate eating a “fun” sugary breakfast. Or you might suddenly feel tired or tense at the thought of going on that walk when you don’t really have the time. Learn to welcome and trust these signs.
You don’t have to take my word for it. Make the decision to start now and see for yourself. The more you listen to your inner voice and trust yourself, the more dedicated your practice will be.
You’ll get to the bigger questions and choices in your life. But, if you want to learn to develop your intuition by applying practical theory, you start small. It’s in the day-to-day decisions. Now is the perfect time to start.
Have you eaten breakfast yet?
Jill Sylvester is a licensed mental health counselor who has worked with adults and children in private practice for nearly ten years. She has been quoted in Oprah Magazine and She Knows. Her first book, the novel The Land of Blue, is the recipient of a Mom’s Choice Award.
