"The only real valuable thing is intuition." - Albert Einstein
As I've stated in my book and throughout the blog, I believe that four myths are holding professionals back from their full potential, productivity and happiness.
The Myth of Materialism shows itself in many ways to the professional, impacting both performance and wellbeing as many end up in unsatisfying jobs strapped to a paycheck for a lifestyle that ultimately has no increase in happiness. Likewise, many end up in industries that provide the individual ‘societal respect’ instead of ‘internal fulfillment’.
My favorite definition of the Myth of Materialism for professionals is “using possessions as a yardstick of success and seeking happiness through acquisition” (George Monbiot).
We’ve been taught to listen to experts, comparing ourselves with others on social media and trust anything we Google rather than follow what we know is best for ourselves. From a young age, we are told to conform and the rest of our lives we hand over our personal power to seek the approval of others until one day we realize we are in careers or lives that feel completely unfulfilling and wondering how we got here.
It’s no wonder that The Conference Board reports that 53 percent of Americans are currently unhappy at work.
Daniel Kahneman, a 2002 Nobel laureate in economics, has researched business psychology and intuition. He describes intuition as “an area in our brain that acts very fast without thinking anything through.” It is the ability to know something without analytic reasoning, bridging the gap between the conscious and non-conscious parts of our mind.
Intuition is a quick insight with simple answers. Initially, it provides you with a sense that something feels good (pursue) or bad (stay away). More developed intuitions could lead to solutions to problems. Intuitive insights are not elaborate stories or cause us to ruminate. They are a deep knowing that is fairly straight forward.
Intuition actually comes from the word intueri, meaning to “look within.” In the U.S., we refer to our “gut feeling” and Japan, the term is “stomach art.” I look at intuition as a combination of feelings, facts, and past experiences that shape our ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning
· Promoting your CIO (Yes/no Practice)
· ID your CIO strengths (CIO Typing)
· CIO for Influence + Leadership (Subway Practice)
You can simply start to develop, trust and use your intuition by pausing before making a decision (even if its what to eat for lunch) and asking a "yes" or "no" question. Then become mindful of the answer, did you feel a yes or a no in the body.
What is your first reaction to this question:
Are you in a job that is challenging or the wrong job?
Need help to determine if you need to learn how to manage the stress of your job/improve productivity or if you need to gracefully leave your job? Reach out for a free 30 minute coaching consultation.