Business Building Corner

6 Questions to Conduct a Daily Gut Check

“It’s good to have a bright analytical brain, but at the end of the day, the stomach is the smartest body organ.”
Julie Benezet, lawyer, entrepreneur, former Amazon executive, leadership coach

The stomach houses life experiences, values and inconvenient truths. Science even shows a gut-brain connection. When you’re wrestling with a decision, the message your gut is sending can get muffled by emotion or urgency. Ask yourself these six questions daily, so you can make the best use of your gut wisdom.

  1. Am I really paying attention to what my gut is telling me about a decision, or am I rushing to judgement to stop feeling anxious?
  2. Am I listening to my gut because I’m feeling lazy about supporting my feelings with facts, or do I really feel I know enough to make a call?
  3. If I sit with this gut feeling for a few minutes and allow my head to kick in, will I allow my gut feeling to change?
  1. Is my gut telling me what I believe to be true based on what I either know or can find out, or am I paying more attention to the truths of others?
  2. Do I know enough about the decision to be able to defend it beyond saying “Trust me,” if challenged by others?
  3. Is the information I am collecting to test my gut reaction causing my gut to become calm, or is it giving it a flat or troubled feeling?

When we have two hours to meet a deadline on reaching a decision, most of us will take care of other pressing business, whether it be returning phone calls or answering emails that require immediate attention. The intent is to “clear the decks” so-to-speak, so we can single-mindedly focus on our pending decision. However, taking that route doesn’t allow our gut to work on the problem in the background.

Try reversing the order of your priorities by immersing yourself in your projects, and then taking a timeout to deal with making your decision. It just might provide the clarity you need.

Adapted from Success Magazine November 2016 issue