How to Solve Business Problems by Listening to Your Inner Voice

What if you’ve done all of the right things for yourself and your business, but you still feel uninspired? What do you do?

Christina, a business owner, was getting ready to start her day at the office. She’d been doing a great job this year setting goals and achieving them, based on her five-year vision. She’d discovered that the more specific her goals, the more likely she was to accomplish them. But this morning, she wasn’t feeling inspired or motivated. She didn’t have much energy. She knew what she had to do, but she just couldn’t get going.

One of Christina’s personal goals was to meditate daily. During this day’s meditation, she asked herself: What am I excited about in my life? She breathed deeply for a few minutes and listened for her inner voice and gradually the answer came: I’m excited about my son’s upcoming wedding to a wonderful woman. The planning, the new connections, the love Christina felt for her son and his wife-to-be — they all made her glow!

Then Christina asked herself: How can I apply these feelings to my business? What can I do to bring this glow to my company and my team? Again, she took some deep breaths and listened.

That’s when she realized she was stretched too thin. Her sales efforts were suffering. Just as being mother of the groom had its joys and responsibilities, so too did business ownership. It was clear to Christina at that moment that to rediscover joy at work, she needed to focus. She realized that there were things on her plate that could be delegated to her team, giving her the time to do what she loved and did best: bringing in new business. If she could do that, it would reduce her stress and enable her to feel the joy and energy that she normally felt about her business.

Like Christina, you, too, can be a great resource to yourself. You have more access to great ideas and solutions than you think. To connect to that information, you need to get quiet and listen for that inner voice.

Here are a few ways to start.

* Meditate for five minutes, just as Christina did. Ask yourself a few questions to set the stage, and then be open to whatever answers arise.

* Journal for five minutes. Some people find it easier to access their inner knowledge on paper. Start by writing the question or decision you’re struggling with. Breathe deeply a few times, pick up your pen, and write whatever comes to mind.

* Go for a walk (without your smartphone). Getting out of your usual environment and moving your body can help trigger new ideas. Again, you can ask yourself a question as you walk, or just let the issue sit in the back of your mind.

* Take a shower. Seriously. People often get great ideas in the shower. Hop in, cool off, and see what you learn.Go for a walk (without your smartphone). Getting out of your usual environment and moving your body can help trigger new ideas. Again, you can ask yourself a question as you walk, or just let the issue sit in the back of your mind.

* Ask yourself a key question before you fall asleep. Your brain will work on the problem overnight, and nine times out of ten, you’ll wake up with a new idea.

These are just a few of the methods by which you can access your inner wisdom. Some people also receive flashes of insight while driving (without the radio), doing dishes (without the TV), or pulling weeds in the garden. What these approaches all have in common is that they allow you to disengage from the noise that surrounds you all day, even if only for a few minutes, so you can hear that small voice coming from your heart.