Use Your Sixth Sense
By Riley Hilton, AskMen.com 23-Oct-02
During World War II, the British Special Operations Executive had training camps for secret agents. One of the most important skills students were taught there was to fire their weapons from the hip. They called it "instinctive shooting." Basically, the operatives were shown how to use their third eye to do the aiming. All this to say that there are times where you also must trust your subconscious to make the decisions. It's that intuition that gives great men the advantage. Warren Buffett began investing in the stock market at 11 years old. Since then, he has become one of the richest men in the world. How did he achieve that? By picking the right stock at the right time. Conrad Hilton, the renowned hotelier, used his gut in deciding on establishing new hotels. It's that faint inner voice that can give you the edge in your business.
What Is The Sixth Sense?
Don't ask your physician, or any scientist for that matter, what the sixth sense is. They didn't learn it in school and they would be right in assuming that there's no scientific explanation for it. It's absolutely immaterial. On the other hand, it's not religious or spiritual. It has nothing to do with your personal beliefs; a devout Christian will have as much intuition as an agnostic. It's only innate knowledge. These gut feelings are intuitive and result in your arriving at a conclusion without knowing exactly how. You might feel something churning in your stomach or have a mental wind hurling through the back of your mind. It might be mysterious for you if you're not accustomed to using it but, with time and experience, it will become a part of you.
Learn To Use It
So how do business gods manage to make billions of dollars with their sixth sense? They pay attention. That's pretty much all you have to do. Take a break, lock the door to your office, and close your eyes. Don't listen to music, don't think about the problems with your employees; just relax. Then, start thinking about that situation you need insight on. Don't think rationally. Right now, you're not weighing your decision. Don't evaluate the pros and cons, just listen to your gut. Listen to what your heart tells you. Then, write down all the emotions that came to you in relation to that situation. Do this for three to five minutes every day and with time, you will notice that your intuition will be a lot sharper. It will also come to you much more quickly and easily. Now you can analyze your feelings, taking yourself right out of the decision-making process, and select the best course of action. Play devil's advocate and see whether your intuition led you down the right corridor. This is a tool readily available to everyone although politicians and entrepreneurs, the great visionaries, are more likely to use it. You have to be willing to let go and walk off the beaten path. Society made you ignore your sixth sense, but you can get it back.
There Are Obstacles...
Life is a race nowadays. It goes so fast that we don't have time to listen to our emotions. We have schedules and responsibilities, and straying from the norm can be frightful. Traditional education, social practices, and modern technology have all contributed to humans losing touch with their sixth sense. You think somebody has broken into your house? You don't get out of bed; you rely on the alarm system. The teacher is talking rubbish? You keep your mouth shut since you were taught that educators know everything. Social conventions seek to normalize everyone. As a concept, it's laudable. The downside, however, is that we lose the ability to use our instincts in everyday situations. That's why children make such brilliant discoveries at such a young age; they haven't been corrupted by societal standards. So you have to listen to your gut feelings, not just act on them, but really listen to them. Don't leave things up to chance.
It's Not Wishful Thinking
Imagine yourself at the office, considering expanding the distribution network into the Midwest, buying out the local competition. You have evaluated the state of affairs, run through all the steps of the usual decisionmaking process, and you've made up your mind about which course of action to adopt. And now you decide to see what your sixth sense has to say about it, following the above process. Yes, your hunch is of the same opinion as your well thought-out decision. Beware of a trap. It's easy to listen only to what we want to hear. You have to be honest with yourself and admit it if your intuition is not in sync with the judicious conclusion. You'll have to consider what is more important or how you could consolidate the two opposing views.
Use Your Head
Sometimes we have to make decisions that we don't like for the greater good. You may be forced to mull over a merger with another firm. This merger would probably take you out of the loop -- you would no longer have a say in the day-to-day business -- but it would save your company, the numerous jobs, and make the stockholders happy. The heart has reasons that reason can't pinpoint. Your inner voice might be telling you to look for another solution but your knowledge and experience tell you otherwise. Occasionally, common sense has to win out. Hiring a new employee based on your gut feeling is one thing, but dropping $100,000 on an IT stock is quite another. You can fire the employee; the money you won't get back. Take risks, yes, but they'd better be wellcalculated and understood. There is no magic trick to help you tame your sixth sense. Relax, be aware of your surroundings and actions, and practice the tips mentioned above. With experience you will be able to use your intuition in everyday situations and adequately judge its accuracy. Objectives of success dictate that it must become a way of life.