WEEK 44
Day 302: On Listening to Your Gut
You might find the idea of listening to your gut feelings odd or even ridiculous. Some people I coach, normally left-brain individuals who use logic and facts all day like engineers or accountants, are not used to following their intuition and feelings. Instead of asking themselves “What do I feel?”, they are more comfortable asking “What do the facts tell me?”
Using logic and facts is essential in accomplishing your goals, but sometimes it’s important to listen to your gut, instead of what you can determine through using a rational thinking process.
For example, I was once running a company in a profitable industry, with a good and proven business model. There were many possibilities for growth, clients enjoyed the service, and it was probable that (with enough persistence) I would get venture capital funding and expert coaching.
However, in my gut I felt that the business wasn’t for me. It clashed with my personality, and no amount of rational thinking, facts, and logic would have persuaded me otherwise.
In the end, I sold the company and it proved to be the right decision, a decision that was based primarily on my intuition and feelings, not logic.
Don’t ignore the usefulness of your gut feelings. It’s fine to be self-disciplined and remain persistent no matter what, but if deep
down you no longer care about your goal or it otherwise makes you feel uneasy, let your intuition make its case. It’s highly probable that it’s right.