Scientists tell us that our intuition operates at rocket speed and helps us to make choices on everything from our career to others’ trustworthiness, intelligence and even sex appeal in less than 10 seconds. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had the conscious mind to tell ourselves to wait before making any decisions (big or small)? Unfortunately, most of us rush through the choices we need to make because they come at us with breathtaking speed and/or we aren’t as tuned into our gut as we could be.
The challenge is: how can we transform ourselves to slow down our inherent busyness to make better decisions?
It’s easy to feel like we have to get things done quickly, especially when we’re faced with situations where we need to make a quick decision. For example, when I’m shopping online and the website tells me there are only 2 items left in the size I need, I feel compelled to make an immediate decision and either decide to go ahead and buy the item (with the thought that it can be returned), or I get too flustered to make an immediate decision, not sure what I should do … only to discover later on that the item I wanted is now unavailable (and live to regret my hesitation). This isn’t a life altering situation (unless it was that elusive perfect dress), but it’s indicative of what happens when quick decisions — of large and small magnitude — need to be made.
How can we improve our abilities to make better decisions in less time with less stress? Here are 5 tips:
- Stop and take deep 6 deep breaths, then pose to yourself the question that you need an answer to. Ask for the answer to be revealed to you so clearly you cannot ignore the message.
- Trust your gut. Most of us are intuitively aware of our body’s warning signs when we are making a bad choice Sometimes it happens at the most inopportune moments, such as feeling confused about whether to jump on another expressway or allowing yourself to get so angry at your boss that you forget to censor your remarks.
- Let yourself off the hook. No one is perfect and making mistakes is part of the human experience. The biggest lesson to learn is how to forgive yourself when things do not turn out the way you planned. My last big boo-boo occurred when I thought I was sending a text to my sister about an old boyfriend I ran into and had not seen in a long time. He was the man I always felt had “gotten away” and seeing him opened my eyes to the fact that despite his education, wealth and position, his health was terrible. Unfortunately, in my haste to text, I mistakenly sent the message to him! Realizing my mistake I owned up to my text right away and apologized for sounding insensitive. Needless to say, he did not respond at that time (although texted to wish me a happy birthday at my next birthday). If we ever see each other again, you can bet I will not send any texts about it to anyone! If I must, I will follow steps 1 and 2 above and follow my own advice first.
- Surround yourself with people who admit they make mistakes and are open to sharing how they fixed them.
- Finally, set the intention at the start of each day to embrace and feel the emotion of hope very deeply, believing that every day above ground is a good one!
Intuitive Life Strategist Sheree Franklin helps people to find the courage to release their life challenges in order to live in alignment with their true self. She is the author of Intuition: The Hidden Asset Everyone Should Learn to Use. To learn more about Franklin’s book go to www.amzn.to/1UxlWLG.
Sheree is a practitioner at Holistic Health Practice at One East Superior, in Chicago. You can email your questions at [email protected]. Her practice includes one-to-one coaching as well as speaking to organizations. For more information go to www.shereefranklin.com or call 312-664-8376.