Learning To Trust Your Gut Instinct [M&M #022]
Listen to the audio version
Once upon a time, I had a dream.
This ultimate desire that if I could make happen… My life would be complete.
I always wanted to be a rockstar...
Sign autographs.
Tour the country sharing the stage with popular rock bands.
Spend weeks in the recording studio making music while goofing off with my buddies.
Partying like it was part of the job. (not a 4-leaf clover... wink wink)
And in the winter of 2009 it finally came together for me.
To hear the full story, go to the audio version linked on the spotify and apple buttons up top.
I got the invite to audition for a new pop/rock band based out of my hometown of Cincinatti, OH. I dropped out of college and went all in on the opportunity.
But after a year and a half of living the rockstar life something felt off… and no it wasn’t because of the hard ciders and joints being passed around immediately after we got off the stage.
Something was missing…
I was starting to see that the rocker life may not be worth sacrificing everything for.
I was starting to realize how much time and sacrifice would go into becoming a rich and famous rocker and had this gut feeling that this just wasn’t the right path for me.
Now of course at 19 years old, it’s hard to distinguish what choice is right - especially when it’s a potential life-altering decision. But this little voice in my head and this little feeling in my stomach had me feeling like I needed to get out.
I didn’t know what it meant, and although all logic would say that I should stay in the band at least another year or two, I followed my gut and quit the band.
Looking back now 12 years later… I’m glad I followed my gut on that.
For many reasons.
The band did go on to record another album and tour some more but eventually the flame died and the band fell apart about a year or so after I’d stepped away.
MAKING BIG DECISIONS & CALCULATING RISK
It doesn't take a genious to discover that any life worth living is going to be filled with moments where you need to make a decision.
Although there are many motives that one may posess when faced with a tough decision, it seems to me that all decisions are rooted in of one of two emotional premises.
Love or Hate.
Excitement or Fear.
Avoiding Risk or Chasing Opportunity.
In all choices we make, we're either running toward something or away from something.
Neither is wrong, neither is right.
And many times there’s more than one good option or vice versa.
Some may argue that certain decisions, such as switching car insurance providers have no emotional tie to the decision-making process whatsoever. However, you’re either switching providers because you hate the previous company for whatever reason, or there’s major incentive to switch over to the new one.
Humans have 3 built-in decision driving Components:
→ Your Brain - logic
→ Your Heart - emotions
→ Your Gut - the inbetween and everything else
Sometimes they all align making decisions easy.
Other times not so much...
My Brain said… stay in the band.
My Heart was… on the fence.
My Gut said… move on.
My wish for you is to build an awareness of your gut feelings (aka gut instict or intuition) and learn to trust it.
But what is a gut feeling and how do you learn to trust it?
LISTENING TO GUT FEELINGS
Gut feelings are rooted in your conscience and are based on your personal experiences mixed in with what you’ve been taught about right and wrong and so much more. The culture you are familiar with, the morals held in your childhood household, and the ups and downs of your past decisions all help shape your moral compass and the gut feelings you may experience because of it.
These all contribute to the direction or inner-compass of the gut feelings you experience. Although there are vast similarities, your inner-compass is unique to you - like a fingerprint.
To add… When we have certain dreams, desires, or aspirations, our emotions are likely to get involved. When this is the case we have to recognize that both facts and feelings are now a part of the equation in making the best decision in a scenario.
Learning to trust and take advantage of your gut only comes through practice and can be refined by continually developing yourself.
As you develop your mind, your heart, and begin to mature, so too will your gut instinct sharpen. Gut feelings are great to consider if you dont have much data or logic to go off of right away.
In marketing, data drives decisions almost always - this is good.
But data filtered by gut insticts can be great for those who’ve spent the time developing themselves in this area.
If you want to break the mold and be known for something great you’ll definitely have to take risks and follow your gut in a handful of instances.
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
Try out this 4 Question Exercise to help you decide what’s best:
Is this your first conversation about or attempt at _____ ?
Would there be a moral dilemma that arose from your decision?
Create a simple Pros and Cons list
With all that in mind, what would be best? Taking the path of least resistance vs most valuable path according to your goals.
Remember,
You got into biz for yourself for a reason…
Or you want to leave your traditional job for a reason…
Trusting your gut takes time to develop.
Good things happen for those who make good things happen.
You won't always be able to wait on logic to make the call...
Learn to trust your gut.
Until next time ✌️ 🙂
- Ev
