Trust Your Gut

-by Matt Leedham

“There is no such thing as a normal human being.” – Benjamin Carson, M.D. (ground-breaking pediatric neurosurgeon)

By nature, we are extraordinary. We have in us the ability to do amazing things. Stop thinking so much and trust your gut. Then act.

Research indicates you’d be more right than wrong if you just went with your first instinct. In fact, it is believed that humans have learned how to make quick decisions with limited data as a necessity for survival. Maturing as a species over centuries and generations we have become quite good at this.

There is a word for this phenomenon: heuristics. These are methods used to find a solution that is good enough when a more detailed search for information is not practical. Examples include “rule of thumb”, educated guesses, and common sense. (paraphrased from Wikipedia).

So think about where you see yourself in one year. Think about the goals you are setting for yourself. Are you trusting your gut? Are you asking too many questions and getting bogged down in the weeds? Have you always wanted to do something special but talk yourself out of it? Are you denying yourself the use of your innate heuristic abilities?

Trust your gut and take action. Do one thing you believe in today. The world will thank you for it.