The Gut Instinct

Did you ever have one of those experiences in business where ever fibre of your being is telling you not to do something but your logical brain is trying to tell you “No it’s a great idea!”?  I frequently suffer from this and I’m convinced sometimes our subconscious brain is processing some unknown data that our thinking brain just can’t see.  Our subconscious has weighed and measured the results and doesn’t like what it sees and does it’s very best to warn us but sometimes I think we rely too much on what logic tells us is sound.

I was approached a few months ago with a speaking opportunity that just sounded great. A golden opportunity to promote myself, my business and my educational programs.  My expenses were being covered and the organisation was in alignment with my target audience and something I wanted to be part of.  However……..my “gut instinct” was nagging at me that there was something not quite right here, don’t sign anything until you know what it is.  

Thank goodness I listened to it.  The promoter of the event was disorganised and had let down a number of people.  Some of them I later learned were clients of mine who filled me in on the full back story.  Huge restrictions would have been placed on the content of my presentation due to a clash with an event sponsor.  The whole affair would have been a huge waste of time and resources for me and had I signed on my “logical” assessment I would have been trapped into attending regardless of the disadvantages.

Now conversely, I have had the opposite be true.  Sometimes an opportunity has looked all wrong from the outside but my gut is telling me to go ahead because it knows something I apparently don’t.  And, sure enough out of a less than promising situation a golden opportunity has come my way.

The longer I spend in business the more I am learning to head these warning signs.  After all, I figure my “gut” has my best interests at heart. 

 

Are you following your gut instincts?