The Assumption Mind Trap

This month I got caught in the assumption mind trap. I was asked to deliver an assignment that I knew would not be looked at until the middle of September. There was no deadline in the email instructions so my mind assumed that delivering before the 1st of September would be fine. My intuition said it needs to be delivered within 10 days. My body felt uncomfortable with the idea of not delivering within 10 days.

I listened to my mind! I decided to take my time. Then yesterday, still August, I received an email to say that I had missed the 10-day deadline, and it was too late to deliver the assignment.

I had made so many assumptions with my mind even though my body and intuition knew that they were wrong.

I assumed the person contacting me would have communicated a date, so I did not ask. I made a mistake not doing so. I assumed that my logical mind was right as a date had not been communicated. I was wrong. I had assumed that the discomfort in my body was me feeling anxious, so I ignored it. I assumed that my intuition was me worrying so I brushed it aside.

A couple of weeks of not paying attention to my body and my intuition led to me making assumptions with my mind. Assumptions which lead to a space of stress and anxiety for a situation that could have been avoided.

I am not beating myself up though. I am human and humans make assumptions from time to time. I am treating this as a moment of reflection, a reminder to tune into my body responses, and to trust that initial intuition. I know to do this, I teach this, but for a moment I forgot and that is ok.

I am back on track, and I thought this was a valuable lesson for me to share just in case you have fallen into a similar assumption mind trap lately. I always like to think that I make mistakes like this in order to avoid a bigger mistake later on.

There are many ways to avoid this trap, I will share more about those later. For now, here is a simple technique I created for myself years ago. BREATHE, OBSERVE, ASK.

When you notice a conflict between mind and body, BREATHE in and out a few times to settle yourself. Next OBSERVE your body with a scan. ASK are you holding tension, is your stomach in knots, do you feel uneasy? What is causing that feeling? Now reflect. Do you need to ask questions? Do you need clarification? This slows down the body and mind allowing a space for clarity and connection, a moment to reflect before making a decision.

Are you listening to your body today?