234: 11 Practices to Strengthen Business Intuition (Part Two)

Written By Jenny Blake

“As long as we settle for thinking inside the brain, we’ll remain bound by the limits of that organ. But when we reach outside it with intention and skill, our thinking can be transformed. It can become as dynamic as our bodies, as airy as our spaces, as rich as our relationships—as capacious as the whole wide world.” —Annie Murphy Paul, The Extended Mind

In this second half of a two-part solo series, I’m sharing X more strategies that have helped me build (and trust) my intuition at increasingly subtle levels. If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to Part One here first.

As always, I would love to hear from you! How do you practice the skill of following your intuition? Leave a voice note for a future listener-submission episode at http://itsfreetime.com/ask.

🌟 3 Key Takeaways

  • When making a decision, look for a “whole body yes,” that includes your head, heart, and gut. Or take a page from Internal Family Systems (parts psychology): Which part of you is speaking/steering? How can you ensure you’re listening to your core self / highest self?

  • Pay attention to persistent thoughts or feelings: For example, after you have drafted a piece of writing, to remove something, or change something. Notice and give credit to how you feel when interacting with someone, seeking additional information if needed. Note “yellow” flags even if they aren’t bright red.

  • From Penney - Let go of needing things to be nailed down in advance. “You can still have a vision and goals, you can still make plans, but let it all be fluid. Visions and plans evolve constantly. Affirm to yourself: “I know what I need to know exactly when I need to know it.” In any given moment, there’s just one piece of information, one urge, one action, that’s a perfect fit.”

📝 Permission

Follow your next intuitive hit when speaking with (or coaching) someone. Ask, “Is it okay if I share something that just came to me? You can tell me I’m completely off-base . . .” See if what you shared (an image, a metaphor, a “hit” of guidance) resonates. Even if it doesn’t, it might move the conversation in an interesting direction as the person bounces off of what you said.

✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next

Make one decision this week based on a muscle test: it could be whether to say yes or no to a meeting request, whether to reach out to someone, or what topic to write about next. Stand up and close your eyes. Frame a question that results in yes or no by starting with: “Is it in the highest good for . . . ?” Notice if your body naturally leans forward or recoils back. That’s your intuition speaking to you: forward means yes, backward means no.

Bonus: Create your own counsel of wise ones, even if you’ve never met them. Picture yourself surrounded by them, and ask for input. Listen for their answers.

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Jenny Blake

Jenny Blake is a career and business strategist and international speaker who helps people people organize their brain, move beyond burnout and create sustainable careers they love. She is the author of PIVOT: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One (Portfolio/Penguin Random House, September 2016). Jenny left her job in career development at Google in 2011 after five and a half years at the company to launch her first book, Life After College, and has since run her own consulting business in New York City. Find her on Twitter @Jenny_Blake and subscribe to the Pivot Podcast. 

http://PivotMethod.com
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233: On Sensitive CEOs and Building a Soulful Business with Rose Cox