Skill to Conquer: Trust Yourself

One of the skills I’m working on with myself is learning to trust myself. In my job, a lot goes on at once all of the time. So much multi-tasking and multi-thinking that sometimes I find myself running on autopilot. That’s because I have some experience behind me and I can feel confident in my decisions in the office without thinking too much about it.

It’s out in the “real world” that I want to tune into my gut a bit more. While I think I’ve made some pretty good decisions in the past – moving to the West Village, leaving my big agency job 3 1/2 years ago, upgrading to Spotify Premium – as life goes on you begin to see some big steps ahead. Instead of tripping out over what might be down the road, I’m trying to get center and work on my relationship with me.

Here are some ways you can tune in with your own instincts:

Talk it out – Sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. We can build up a situation in our head, and it turns into something that is not at all reality. As you’re trying to figure out your bearings, share any concerns with trusted friends or peers. They’ll be able to reflect back to you any ridiculousness you might have convinced yourself of, but also pinpoint where you are right on

Take time to reflect – When making any kind of decision, even if it’s where to go for lunch, take a beat and remember how it feels when you make a good decision and when you make a bad one (for example, when you go for the dry toast and egg whites at brunch instead of the pumpkin pancakes). Learning your reaction to those little good and bad moments will help you develop your intuition. Your gut will start speaking to you (if you’re still deciding on pancakes, it might really talk to you)

Listen to your true voice, but not your fear - Some speak of intuition like a true calling or bell ringing, and there is certainly a difference between your intuition and the voice of fear. Fear will make you anxious, nervous, and unsure. Your intuition will always be a confident voice, and your next action will be clear. While it might take a couple days for your true voice to come through, it always does. If you’re unsure about a situation or a decision, don’t act just yet. Take some time for yourself. The answer will present itself.

image via