Last Updated on June 10, 2009
One thing that can stifle your intuition is habit. If you do the same things in the same order every day just because you’ve always done them that way, you may begin to rely on your memories about those things rather than how you feel about them today. You may have enjoyed your job, a hobby or even spending time with a certain person once, but do you still feel the same way or are you just going through the motions because that’s what you’ve always done?
Think about a route that you travel frequently. It could be your path to work or your child’s school, or maybe it’s the way to the grocery store. Do you notice the changes in scenery along the way, such as the house being painted or the For Sale sign that just went up? Or do you simply drive to your destination on auto-pilot relying more on memory than observation since you’ve made this trip so many times you could do it in your sleep?
When you take a new route or go someplace you’ve never been before, your memory can’t help you so you’re naturally more observant and you pay more attention to your surroundings and how you feel about them.
Intuitive Action Item: Next time you get ready to make that routine trip, go the back way, or turn on your GPS and have it provide an alternate route. Instead of thinking that you’re going out of the way, use the experience to stimulate your power of observation in the present moment.
