Contrary to popular belief, Intuition is not your “gut instinct”. It doesn't work like a Magic 8 Ball and it isn't a mystical force. Intuition is actually a higher brain function. We did a whole video series on Intuition in my Performance Tune-Up, which you can check out HERE. Intuition is always working. The trouble is, sometimes it's working to create what you DON'T want. Intuition needs three key things in order to work: (1) Obsessive Focus (2) Emotional Importance (3) Time Investment. In this post I'm going to explore the role of Time Investment in getting your Intuition working for you. You've got the focus dialed...It couldn't be more emotionally important to you... Now, you've got to put in the time!
In some ways, Intuition works like artificial intelligence. In order for AI to do its thing, it’s got to have data to draw from. When you tell your favorite AI image generator to draw you a picture of a breakdancing llama, it can only work with the data it's been programmed with. The more data it has access to, like the entire internet, the more bitchen that llama’s going to be. So it stands to reason that the more time invested in building that data library, the more powerful the AI will be. Likewise, your investment of time is what builds your library, your archive of information upon which Intuition can draw.
Think of it like this: You want to get into the best shape of your life. But, how to start? If you’ve never been serious about fitness, never followed any kind of regimen, then Intuition isn’t going to be of much service to you. Because it doesn’t have any information to work with. So getting started is going to take some work. But at this point your focus is razor sharp, you’ve made it emotionally important, and hey, you’re two-thirds of the way there! So maybe you read some fitness magazines, talk to friends or coworkers about what they do, get yourself a gym membership. There might be some trial and error, some hits and misses, but remember, you’re building your database. The more you learn, the more you hit those weights or that Peloton, the more you dial in a healthy diet, the more you will find Intuition kicking in, lighting up the path before you.
Or, maybe you’ve always wanted to build your own financial empire but you just haven’t found the thing that gets your juices flowing. Then, inspiration strikes! The only problem is, you’re not exactly sure how to make it all happen. For a lot of people it might seem an insurmountable task, but you’ve got your eyes on the prize and you’d be willing to give up a kidney to make it happen. Now you’ve just gotta put in the time. Build that database. Maybe that means going back to school, taking some business courses. Maybe it means roping in some friends and family. Maybe it means hitting the pavement, knocking on doors, working that rolodex. (Is that still a thing?) Most likely, it’s going to mean some combination of all those things, but whatever the case may be, you’re going to be logging those hours and the knowledge you accrue is going to light up Intuition like a beacon on a foggy night.
Or maybe you’re like Claire. She’s never had much luck with romantic relationships. But 30 is just around the corner and she wants nothing more than to find Mr. Wonderful and start a family. She’s focused on what she wants to create and it couldn’t be any more emotionally important. But what does putting in the time look like for Claire? Relationships are a little more complex than creating a fitness regimen or developing a business plan. Claire is going to have to start with herself. And it just so happens that a friend of hers recently referred her to us!
Now Claire’s half way through her first year of our Power Series. She’s learned about the emotional patterns that haven’t been serving her. How those patterns have been leading her into relationships that are doomed from the start. She’s been able to get crystal clear on the kind of person she wants to find and, just as importantly, she’s gotten crystal clear on the kind of person she doesn’t want. She’s been dating for a couple of months and Mr. Wonderful hasn’t reared his perfectly chiseled face yet, but that’s okay. The more she gets out there, the more information she has to work with. A couple nights ago, Claire met up with Francesco for a cocktail after work. She kind of dug the Italian accent, but before the server even delivered their martinis, Claire knew the most she was going to get out of this date was a decent blue cheese stuffed olive.
A year ago, Claire would have said she just had a feeling about Francesco, but she wouldn’t have been able to put a finger on it. Even worse, her emotional patterning may have led her to misinterpret what Intuition was telling her and who knows where she’d be now? Maybe reluctantly planning a wedding where they serve meatball soup and wondering how the hell she’d gotten herself into this mess. But that was the old Claire. The new Claire, armed with information about herself and what she wants to create in her life, felt her Intuition light up like a fireworks show, saying, “This is not the guy.” And it didn’t mean there was anything wrong with her, or with Francesco for that matter. They just weren’t a good fit, and because of the work that Claire has done, she could see clearly where he didn’t align with her vision without feeling guilty or worthless or resentful. Instead she enjoyed her martini and that blue cheese olive, she thanked Francesco for a lovely evening, then promptly erased his number from her contacts.
Intuition is one of the most powerful tools we have. And the beauty of it is that it only keeps growing and getting stronger over time. A brand new school teacher may come to their first classroom, fresh out of university, armed with all of the most current educational theories and practices, but theories and practices only go so far in the real world. To become a truly exceptional teacher is going to take time. Same goes for doctors or lawyers or actors or athletes. Any profession. Because early in your career, you simply haven’t seen and done and heard it all. In time you will. And it’s that time and experience that will fuel Intuition to guide you.
Now, I’m not saying it's going to take a lifetime, although for some things it could. What I’m saying is that the more time you have under your belt, the more accurate your Intuition will be in pointing you in the right direction. This is one of the very reasons our curriculum is a year long. One year is the minimum amount of time required to actually learn the tools and build some talent in executing them. And you'll find that with each passing year of training, your gains are easier and quicker, and your Intuition sharper.
So why wait any longer? Let’s get Intuition working for you. Focus, Emotional Importance, and Time. When we have those three components aligned, Intuition will kick into overdrive, serving as the road signs that keep us on the path toward what we want to create. But getting there takes some skill. It takes tools, techniques and strategies. And guess what? We’ve got ‘em! Join us for a Power Series program and we’ll get you schooled up on the components of Intuition and how they work together to light the way and get Intuition working for you. Click HERE to learn more and sign up today!