This is the first of three guest blogs by international spiritual medium and bestselling author Rebecca Rosen.  

In business and in life, the most powerful way that we can make choices is to use a combination of intellect and intuition.  Although it’s not always talked about, especially in our professional lives, our intuition plays a large part in how we find inspiration, take inspired action, and see results that not only make sense on paper but feel good to us on a personal level.   

We can think of intellect as coming from the mind while our intuition comes from the heart.  Particularly in business, it’s common to rely exclusively on intellect, which leads to overthinking or being, “too in-our-heads” when making important decisions.  But strong business decisions come from both intellect and intuition.   

Feel, think… then act 

Using only our intellect and approaching things from a purely mind-level perspective often causes us to act, then think, then feel.  This can lead us into business situations that may play it too safe, partnerships that feel toxic, or work that isn’t fulfilling.  When we incorporate intuition into our decision-making process, we can reverse those steps and begin with feeling, then thinking, then acting.  This process helps us to respond to opportunities based on measured, holistic reflection, instead of reacting immediately without feeling it out using both our intuition and our intellect.   

Intuition as the road to creative genius   

We are all born with a genius inside, and most of the greatest business leaders we know today acknowledge this birthright.  Our unique purpose and opportunity in life is to tap into that creative genius and develop it in a way that feeds our life and that of others. What not everyone realizes is that the way to access that genius is through our heart/intuition.  Recognizing that intuition plays a role in all areas of our lives can have a profound effect that translates into business decisions that are more intimately tied with who we are and what we want. 

Ask yourself what you want and why  

So, how do we begin incorporating our intuition into our decision-making process?  The first step is determining our “what” and our “why.”  What is it that we want to create and why do we want it?  In other words, what is our intention in having it?  When we get to the heart of our “what” and “why” we find that it’s not a thing that we want but a feeling that we’re after.  The circumstances of a particular business decision are often not as important as the feeling that they create, like stability, expansion, fulfillment, etc.  Ask yourself, “What is the feeling I’m looking for?”  Getting to the heart of how we want to feel can help us get clear on our intentions for our career and clarify how the choices we make fit in with those intentions.   

When we are practicing this first step, it’s important to get into a neutral state.  We can’t get clear when we’re starting from a foggy, confused, desperate, or fear-based place.  That’s when our ego becomes louder and our intuition gets silenced.  We’re aiming to turn up the volume on our intuition, so it’s important to set ourselves up for success by getting to a less charged place before we begin to dig deeper.  This process requires honest self-inquiry.  We have to ask ourselves where we are, where we want to be, and what we need to let go of to make room for those intentions coming in.   

Pay attention to how you feel  

To get a full perspective, look at these questions from an emotional, mental, and physical perspective.  So, don’t only look at the physical circumstances you are in with your career–like your job title or responsibilities–but also assess whether you’re feeling burnt out or inspired, unchallenged or overwhelmed.  This will give you a thorough self-inventory that can clarify your intentions going forward and guide you to your desired outcomes on all levels of your business and professional life.  

Get radically honest  

Sometimes, we know what we don’t want before we know what we do want. Yet unwanted circumstances can serve as powerful guideposts. I often have clients who know exactly what they dislike about their careers, and as they begin to look for the flip-side of what they dislike — the impulses, ideas, people, places and situations that call to them or bring them joy — they find clarity about their next professional steps.  

Sometimes taking an honest self-inventory is a necessary step in our discovery of what we truly want and a practice that requires courage as we dig deep and allow our truth to surface. We must be prepared for realizations to prompt significant changes in our life if necessary, even if it means disappointing or surprising other people. Having the courage to awaken to what needs to change and lead by example can be challenging, but it leads to fulfillment and inspires others. 

Many businesspeople are waking up to the fact that we cannot rely solely on intellect and that there’s strength and magic in incorporating our intuition into our decisions.  So ask yourself the important questions, check in with how you feel and get honest about what you want.  That will help you to make intentional decisions that will propel you toward your goals.   

To practice getting in touch with your intuition, visit this page for a free guided meditation with Rebecca.