I once put off making a very important decision about selling my house and moving for five years. I bought a beautiful row house in a very trendy part of Washington, DC, moved in, and immediately hated the place. The house was fine. However, I didn’t have anything in common with my neighbors, I didn’t really care much for the nice yet boring neighborhood, and to be honest the house was just too big.
Have you ever put off making a decision for a couple days, couple weeks, or like me, a couple years even? We all do it. As a matter of fact, think right now, what is one business or life decision you are putting off making? What is keeping you up at night? What tough conversation with a business associate or loved one are you avoiding?
As a business leadership keynote speaker, I often share with my audiences that decision making is a balance of art and science, data and instincts, your head and your heart. And to help you face these tough decisions and choose the right path forward, I want you to start paying attention to what your “reptilian instincts" are telling you — look for, listen to, and act upon your inklings. Here is a definition of inklings that I really like:
"Inklings are higher intelligence: The definition of an inkling is a subtle sense of something, even with no evidence to back it up. An inkling is even quieter than intuition and even more powerful. Inklings are at the gateway of truth and as we sensitize ourselves to feel at this level, we get access to inklings and have the courage to act on them, versus waiting for them to become intuition or fact. As people come to trust their inklings, they make better choices sooner.” ~~ The 15 Frameworks, coachville.com
Make better choices sooner. Who doesn’t want that? So here are three things you can do to gain access to your powerful inklings that will help you make better choices sooner:
The Triple-E Approach to Access Inklings
E-tox: Detox your electronic life. Smart phones, smart watches, smart cars, smart TVs, smart homes, smart appliances, ahhhh! I love everything tech, however, I use it. I don’t let IT use ME. If you are constantly staring at your phone or checking email or wasting time on social media, you will be so distracted you will miss each and every important decision-making inkling coming your way. One simple thing to do right now is remove every “push” notification to your e-devices (phone, laptops, tablets). So if you want to check email or calendar invites, etc., you have to manually “pull” them into your smart device. Now this won’t solve our growing addiction to all our “smart” devices, however, it is a good start.
Exercise: I don’t care when or how you do it, but you have to exercise daily. Find the motivation no matter what. The goal is to build up to 30-minutes per day. Start slowly. Take a 15-minute break at work and just walk around your office building or complex. Do this once mid-morning and once after lunch. Boom. 30-minutes. From there, you should eventually aim to get 30-minutes in one day and then 60-minutes the next day. Just remember E-tox during this exercise time! Do not walk and check email or look at social media or text. Think of your exercise time as “moving meditation”. NO e-distractions.
Eat Better: As the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” We are only as good as what we put into our bodies. Don’t worry — you don’t have to follow the latest crazy diet fad or completely upend your eating schedule to create dietary transformation. Start by drinking more water. Cut out sugary drinks such as soda. If you drink coffee, lay off the heavy sweeteners. Eat more salad (no heavy dressings) and fresh vegetables. That’s it. (1) More water, (2) less sugar, and (3) more greens. Foods rich in magnesium such as dark green veggies and bananas help reduce stress. If your stress levels are reduced, your access to inklings increases.
By E-toxing, Exercising, and Eating better you are going to create the foundation to let your inklings come to the surface so you can more clearly see them and act upon them in a positive way. So you don’t end up buying and living in a house for five years that you never wanted in the first place.
Need more ideas on how to access your inklings and make better choices sooner? Then please check out my new nationwide bestselling book, The Mushin Way to Peak Performance: The Path to Productivity, Balance, and Success , or hit me up on Twitter @mpveltri, or simply post a comment below — I’ll be sure to get back to you right away.