Ten tips to help you succeed: your intuition can help you achieve success when you know where you want to go.

By Lynn Robinson, M.Ed.
(c) Intuitive Consulting and Communication, Inc.

In today's fast-paced environment, decisions need to be made swiftly and accurately. While many top executives won't publicize it, intuition is a key part of their decision-making success. Once thought of as the domain of the "gifted few," it is, in fact, readily available to us all. Intuition can be an important factor in making hiring decisions, motivating staff, increasing sales, accessing partnerships and predicting industry trends.

1. MAKE YOUR INTUITION YOUR ALLY
Everyone receives intuitive information. It's a skill and the more you practice it the better you get at it. How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a flash of insight, a body sensation? Do you just know? Intuition is the secret weapon of many successful leaders. They describe it as knowing something directly without going through a long analytical process.

2. ASK QUESTIONS
What information do you need to know? Ask your intuition questions such as: "Should I hire this person for the job?" "What can I do to increase sales this year?" "What could I do to guarantee we get this account?" Pay attention to the answers and act on the information you receive.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
We are often quite clear about what we don't want. The path to success comes from spending time thinking about what you do want. What does your ideal life look like? Being clear about what you want is often the first step in being able to create it. Your intuition can help you achieve success when you know where you want to go.

4. SLOW DOWN
Valuable intuitive wisdom often comes when you are relaxed and open to receiving it. When you need help making a decision, pause, take a deep breath, reflect on the question and allow the intuitive impressions to come to you. Intuition is often described as "still and quiet." It doesn't usually answer in a big, booming voice. It is much subtler. Pay attention to any images you receive, words you hear, physical sensations you experience or emotions you feel. These are all ways that intuition will communicate with you. Write down any impressions you receive. Some people find that intuitive insights will pop into their mind immediately. For others, it may come later in the day when they least expect it.

5. CREATE POSITIVE SELF TALK
Pay attention to what you tell yourself about you and your life. If the general tone is hopeful and positive you generally feel better and more optimistic. It's easier to receive intuitive information when you give yourself affirmative messages.

6. WHAT ARE YOU ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT?
Intuition often communicates its message simply through passion and excitement. If a plan of action or decision leaves you feeling drained, bored or enervated, that's a clear message saying, "Don't go there." Conversely, if you feel energized and enthusiastic, your intuition is giving you the green light.

7. TAKE ACTION
People often get stuck because they can't figure out how to get from Point A to Point Z. What is one thing you could do that would be a next step? Take a class, talk to a friend, read a book on a topic of interest, learn a new skill. Take action on what feels exciting to you. That's putting your intuition into action.

8. GO WITH YOUR GUT!
Instinct, gut-feeling, "I just knew I should...," "I had a sour taste in my mouth about..." These are all ways people have found to describe intuitive information. Physical signals are clues that can help you with decision making. Bottom line - if it feels bad, don't do it!

9. WRITE IT DOWN
Many people have great success receiving intuitive information through writing. This technique is similar to brainstorming. Write a series of questions about your choices. Suppose you have to make a decision to fill a position in your company. You might write, "If I hire Mary will the company's sales increase?" "If I hire her will this be a positive choice? "What are her strengths?" "What are her weaknesses?" When you have completed your questions, write the answers quickly just as they come to you. Repeat the questions and answers with each potential employee and then assess your answers.

10. ENVISION!
Spend time each day imagining your ideal life. Envision the details of that life. Imagine you are living it now. What are you wearing? What are you feeling? Who are the people around you? Make it real. Like any skill, the more you practice, the better you'll get. Make the time to routinely check in with your intuition and you will be rewarded with faster, stronger and more accurate insight. The benefit? You'll gain a competitive advantage that will help you become a better player in the new economy.

Lynn A. Robinson is a speaker, intuitive business consultant and the author of four books including her recent bestseller, "Divine Intuition: Your Guide to Creating a Life You Love." She specializes in helping individuals and companies use intuition for successful decision-making. She publishes a monthly Internet "Intuition Newsletter" which is available at her web site: www.LynnRobinson.com.

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