The Missing Link in Decision-Making: How Intuition Can Transform Your Life and Work

Intuition is defined as “the ability to understand or know something without the need to think about it or use conscious reasoning.” We often call it a hunch, a gut feeling, or a sixth sense.

But because these terms sound abstract—even "woo woo"—we tend to downplay just how powerful intuition actually is.

Our culture has conditioned us to approach decision-making with our heads, relying almost exclusively on logic and reasoning in nearly every aspect of life. In the business world especially, we've been taught to prioritize data-driven decisions, viewing them as inherently superior.

Over time, this mindset seeps into our personal lives, leaving us feeling confused and disempowered when faced with big life decisions—ones that should come from a deeply personal, authentic, and intuitive place. As a result, our self-trust muscles weaken, and we increasingly look outside ourselves for input and validation, further reinforcing this conditioning.

We’ve drifted away from trusting our gut and using intuition as our starting point and north star. Yet, as humans, this is our greatest superpower—our ultimate competitive edge over A.I.

The problem with over-relying on conscious reasoning is that it stifles our creativity, erodes our sovereignty, weakens our ability to lead ourselves and others, and dilutes our unique personal expression. The consequences? A decline in personal well-being, diminished success in life, and dampened quality of work.

While analysis has its place, we’ve swung too far in that direction—ignoring our innate ability to just know.

But hey, that’s just my gut feeling ??.

If you’re not convinced, don’t just take it from me—some super smart people at Stanford make a similar argument:

A study conducted by Stanford Psychology researchers found that people who follow their intuition were more likely to make the correct decisions than those who relied on logic alone. Intuition led to the best choice 68% of the time, compared to a 26% success rate for more head-focused strategies.

The takeaway? To create a life you love, you need to trust yourself and be self-led. That means making your own decisions—guided by your internal compass, not the opinions of others.

How to Trust & Lead Yourself

As one of my favorite psychologists & thinkers, Carl Jung, famously put it:

“The world will ask you who you are, and if you don’t know, the world will tell you.”

For bigger life decisions, like career changes or major moves, be mindful of how much input you seek. Asking too many people will only create noise and cloud your judgment.

When I decided to take a career pause a couple years ago, I told no one. I knew this decision was too personal, too important. Any outside input would only distract me from what I already knew deep down.

How to Tap Into Your Intuition

Ok, but how do you actually know what your intuition is telling you??

Well first, you need to understand how your intuition communicates with you. Intuition speaks its own language, and if you’re not used to listening, it can be easy to ignore.?

Here’s how to start tuning in:

Recognize how intuition feels—it’s usually a soft whisper or gentle knowing, not a loud emotional reaction.

Notice “intuitive hits”—those seemingly random pings like “call this person” or “turn here.” Follow through and see where they lead.

Pay attention to your body—an intuitive “yes” often feels like expansion, while a “no” feels like contraction. Notice your posture and openness of your body language.?

Pause before seeking external validation—take time to reflect on what you already know before asking for input. Take a pause before sharing something important with someone. Evaluate if it will actually serve you in some way to have that conversation.

Brainstorm thought starters on paper or in your notes app before Googling or asking ChatGPT! —let your own ideas and thoughts come through first before searching for outside answers

Spend more time independently reflecting - journaling, meditating, or even just sitting in silence and staring out of a window (my favorite) can help you get clear on your own thoughts and hear your own voice.

Instinct vs. Intuition

A key distinction: intuition is NOT the same as instinct.

A very important thing to note is that there is a BIG difference between your intuition and your instinctive reaction to something. We often mistake reactive feelings like anxiety or fear for our "gut feeling". The latter is actually a nervous system response to a trigger, coming from our subconscious programming – a whole other topic for another day.

The main difference is that your intuition is gentle and quiet, while your reactions are LOUD. Intuition is a sense of calm, grounded knowing and inner conviction, while your reactions are emotionally charged.

Here’s how you can distinguish between them:

• Intuition is calm, grounded, and clear, and feels easeful in the body
• Instinct is loud, urgent, and emotionally charged, and can feel like heat, tension, or buzzing the body. It can also be a shut-down response or desire to run away – think fight, flight, freeze or fawn.
• Ego-driven reactions cling to being right or in control (to cope with the discomfort of uncertainty or unfamiliarity), while intuition trusts and surrenders.

Like anything, intuition is a muscle you have to flex regularly in order for it to get stronger. The more you practice tuning in, the stronger your intuition will become. If you’re someone who always seeks external input, this might be challenging at first, but over time it will get easier. You just have to be brave enough to start.

So, next time you find yourself starting at a blank page at work, or asking yourself existential questions in life – stop thinking and start feeling. Quiet the mind, tune into the body, and listen. Then, take a leap faith, follow your intuitive breadcrumbs and explore where they lead you.

Intuition in My Own Work

In my work today as a Strategist & Dharma Coach, my approach sits at the intersection of intuition and strategy—soul-led strategy, if you will.

Through my own business Labour of Love Strategies Inc., I consult and coach professionals, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs on how to make pivotal life, career, & business decisions with clarity, confidence, and conviction. My work is about helping individuals make aligned choices so they can thrive as their most authentic selves.

Currently, I’m building a community initiative called Labour of Love Collective, a bi-weekly women’s group for professionals seeking change—whether it’s a career pivot, a personal reinvention, or simply a desire to lead life more intentionally.

Ready to Strengthen Your Intuition?

If you’re facing big life or career decisions this year and want to feel more confident in your choices, I’ll be leading an Intuition Workshop inside Labour of Love Collective. Want to learn more about the group? You can check out this info sheet with all the details or reach out to me directly with the word “Pivot”.?

Group sessions on March 23rd. If 2025 is your pivot year, join us!