Blend Rational Analysis with Intuitive Insight for Better Decisions

Years ago, I faced a crossroads: stay on a safe consulting path, or pivot into writing and teaching full-time. My rational mind said, “Stick with a stable income.” Yet a persistent inner nudge whispered, “You’re meant to help people learn together.” I carved out time each Sunday morning for quiet reflection—no phone, no email, no “to-do” list. At first nothing happened. Then, one morning, a clear image flickered: a classroom humming with questions, people sketching feedback loops on whiteboards.

I scribbled that down without thinking twice. Then, I switched to my analytical notebook, pulling up revenue projections, contract lengths, and teaching opportunities. The numbers suggested I could make the leap. As I lined up my gut image alongside concrete data—a half-dozen schools eager for a systems thinking course—I saw a clear pattern. The intuition and analysis were pointing in the same direction.

Within six months, I resigned, launched my first workshop, and never looked back. It wasn’t recklessness; it was a deliberate integration of mind and heart, making space for intuition, then testing it with data. From then on, I built every major decision around this blended process, and it’s still my guiding practice.

I might be wrong, but I believe our subconscious minds process complexity we can’t yet grasp consciously. Merging intuitive flashes with rational analysis becomes a powerful system of checks and balances, letting us explore beyond our comfort zone while keeping one foot firmly grounded.

Next time you’re wrestling with a big call, give your subconscious space by sitting quietly for fifteen minutes and noting any spontaneous inklings. Then switch gears, lay out the hard facts, and pair each intuition with a data point. Watch as your rational mind and gut combine to reveal a path you couldn’t see alone.