Intuition Development for Business Decisions: Your Inner GPS

By Nicole, Founder of Mystic Ryst

Every successful entrepreneur has a secret weapon: intuition. That gut feeling that tells you which client to work with, which opportunity to pursue, when to pivot, when to hold steady. Steve Jobs called it "more powerful than intellect." Oprah credits it for every major decision. Richard Branson says he trusts his gut over data. Your intuition is your inner GPS—a sophisticated intelligence system that processes information faster than your conscious mind and guides you toward aligned decisions.

But most entrepreneurs don't trust their intuition. We've been trained to rely solely on logic, data, and rational analysis. We dismiss gut feelings as irrational or unreliable. We override our inner knowing with what we "should" do. And we make decisions that look good on paper but feel wrong in our bodies—and often turn out to be mistakes.

The most successful spiritual entrepreneurs learn to integrate both: logic AND intuition, data AND inner knowing, strategy AND gut feeling. They develop their intuitive capacity systematically, learn to distinguish true intuition from fear or wishful thinking, and use their inner guidance as a competitive advantage.

This comprehensive guide teaches you how to develop, trust, and use your intuition for better business decisions.

Let's explore your inner GPS.

Understanding Intuition

What is Intuition?

Definitions:

• Psychological: Rapid, unconscious pattern recognition based on accumulated experience
• Neuroscientific: The brain's ability to process information below conscious awareness
• Spiritual: Direct knowing from your higher self, soul, or divine guidance
• Somatic: Body-based intelligence and wisdom

All of these are true—intuition is multi-layered.

How Intuition Works

The science:

• Your subconscious processes 11 million bits of information per second
• Your conscious mind processes only 40-50 bits per second
• Your subconscious notices patterns, connections, and data you're not aware of
• It communicates through feelings, sensations, images, or sudden knowing
• This is why you "just know" without knowing how you know

The spiritual perspective:

• You're connected to a field of intelligence beyond your individual mind
• Your higher self/soul has a broader perspective
• Intuition is the language of your soul
• It guides you toward your highest path

Both perspectives are compatible and useful.

Types of Intuition

1. Clairsentience (Clear Feeling):

• Gut feelings, body sensations
• "I feel good/bad about this"
• Physical responses to people, places, decisions
• Most common type

2. Claircognizance (Clear Knowing):

• Sudden knowing without logical process
• "I just know this is right"
• Downloads of information
• Common in strategic thinkers

3. Clairvoyance (Clear Seeing):

• Mental images, visions, symbols
• Seeing future possibilities
• Visual metaphors
• Common in visual/creative people

4. Clairaudience (Clear Hearing):

• Inner voice, words, or sounds
• Hearing guidance
• Songs or phrases that carry meaning
• Common in auditory processors

Most people have one or two dominant types.

Intuition vs. Fear, Ego, and Wishful Thinking

How to Tell the Difference

True Intuition:

• Calm, neutral, matter-of-fact
• Comes quickly, often as first impression
• Feels expansive in the body
• Doesn't need to convince you
• Consistent over time
• Often illogical but feels right
• Compassionate, not judgmental

Fear:

• Anxious, urgent, panicky
• Contracts the body
• Repetitive, obsessive thoughts
• Worst-case scenario thinking
• Tries to control outcomes
• Feels heavy or tight

Ego:

• Loud, insistent, defensive
• Concerned with image or status
• Comparative ("I'm better/worse than...")
• Attached to being right
• Seeks validation

Wishful Thinking:

• What you want to be true
• Ignores red flags
• Overly optimistic without grounding
• Dismisses practical concerns
• "This will work because I want it to"

The Body Test

Your body knows the truth:

Yes/Aligned:

• Expansion in chest
• Relaxation in shoulders
• Ease in breathing
• Warmth or lightness
• Leaning forward
• Open posture

No/Misaligned:

• Contraction in chest or gut
• Tension in shoulders or jaw
• Shallow breathing
• Heaviness or nausea
• Leaning back or away
• Closed posture

Practice: Ask a question, notice your body's response before your mind answers

Developing Your Intuition

Practice 1: Daily Intuition Journaling

Morning:

1. Before checking your phone, sit quietly
2. Ask: "What does my intuition want me to know today?"
3. Write whatever comes (don't edit or judge)
4. Note any images, feelings, words, or knowing

Evening:

• Review the day
• When did you follow your intuition? What happened?
• When did you ignore it? What happened?
• Track patterns over time

This builds trust and recognition of your intuitive voice.

Practice 2: The Pause Practice

Before any decision:

1. Pause (don't react immediately)
2. Take 3 deep breaths
3. Drop awareness into your body
4. Ask: "What does my intuition say?"
5. Notice first impression (before mind kicks in)
6. Then engage logic and analysis
7. Integrate both

Start with small decisions, build to bigger ones.

Practice 3: Intuitive Hits Tracking

Keep a log:

• Date and time
• Intuitive hit (what you sensed)
• What you did (followed it or ignored it)
• Outcome (what actually happened)

Over time, you'll see:

• Your intuition is often right
• Patterns in when you trust vs. override it
• Your accuracy improving

This builds confidence.

Practice 4: Meditation for Intuition

Daily practice (10-20 minutes):

1. Sit quietly, close eyes
2. Focus on breath until mind settles
3. Bring awareness to third eye (between eyebrows)
4. Ask a question or simply be open
5. Notice what arises (images, feelings, knowing, words)
6. Don't force or analyze—just receive
7. Journal afterward

Regular meditation strengthens the intuitive channel.

Practice 5: Body Scanning for Decisions

When facing a decision:

1. State option A out loud
2. Scan your body—how does it feel?
3. Note sensations (expansion, contraction, neutral)
4. State option B out loud
5. Scan your body again
6. Compare the responses
7. Your body knows which is aligned

Practice 6: Intuitive Free-Writing

1. Set a timer for 10 minutes
2. Write a question at the top
3. Write continuously without stopping
4. Don't think, just let it flow
5. Your intuition speaks through the pen
6. Read afterward—often wisdom appears

Using Intuition for Business Decisions

Client Selection

The intuitive process:

1. Review inquiry or application (logic)
2. Notice your gut response (intuition)
3. Ask: "Is this person aligned for me to work with?"
4. Feel into it—expansion or contraction?
5. Trust the response

Red flags your intuition might catch:

• Energy vampire
• Won't do the work
• Misaligned values
• Will be difficult or draining

Your intuition knows before your mind does.

Pricing Decisions

The intuitive process:

1. Research market rates (logic)
2. Calculate your needs (logic)
3. Then ask: "What wants to be the price?"
4. Notice what number feels right in your body
5. Test it—say it out loud, feel the response
6. Adjust until it feels aligned

Your intuition knows your worth and what the market will bear.

Opportunity Assessment

When an opportunity arises:

1. Gather information (logic)
2. Pros and cons list (logic)
3. Then pause and ask: "Is this a yes for me?"
4. Notice immediate response (before mind argues)
5. Check body—expansion or contraction?
6. Sleep on it if needed
7. Trust the consistent answer

Questions to ask your intuition:

• "Is this aligned with my path?"
• "Is this the right timing?"
• "What am I not seeing?"
• "What does my future self say?"

Hiring Decisions

Beyond resume and interview:

1. Review qualifications (logic)
2. Conduct interview (logic)
3. Notice how you feel in their presence
4. Ask: "Can I trust this person?"
5. Feel the response
6. Imagine working with them—how does it feel?

Your intuition reads energy and integrity beyond what's said.

Timing Decisions

When to launch, pivot, or wait:

1. Analyze readiness (logic)
2. Then ask: "Is now the right time?"
3. Notice if you feel rushed or at ease
4. Green light: Excitement + calm readiness
5. Yellow light: Hesitation—wait or adjust
6. Red light: Strong no—don't force it

Integrating Intuition and Logic

The Both/And Approach

Not intuition OR logic—intuition AND logic.

The process:

1. Gather data (logic): Research, analyze, calculate
2. Consult intuition: What does my gut say?
3. Look for alignment: Do they agree?
4. If yes: Proceed with confidence
5. If no: Investigate the discrepancy
   • Is logic missing something intuition sees?
   • Is intuition being influenced by fear?
   • Get more information
   • Wait for clarity

Best decisions come when both align.

When Intuition and Logic Conflict

Scenario 1: Logic says yes, intuition says no

• Example: Great opportunity on paper, but feels wrong
• Trust intuition—there's something you're not seeing
• Often saves you from hidden problems

Scenario 2: Intuition says yes, logic says no

• Example: Illogical leap that feels right
• Investigate: Is this true intuition or wishful thinking?
• If consistently yes after checking, consider the leap
• Some of the best decisions are illogical

Scenario 3: Both say no

• Clear no—don't do it

Scenario 4: Both say yes

• Clear yes—proceed

Common Blocks to Intuition

What Interferes

1. Overthinking:

• Analysis paralysis
• Mind drowns out intuition
• Fix: Meditate, get out of your head

2. Fear and anxiety:

• Nervous system dysregulation
• Can't access intuition from fight-or-flight
• Fix: Regulate nervous system first

3. External noise:

• Too much input from others
• Can't hear your own voice
• Fix: Solitude, silence, boundaries

4. Lack of trust:

• Dismissing intuitive hits
• Always overriding with logic
• Fix: Start small, build trust

5. Disconnection from body:

• Living in your head
• Ignoring body signals
• Fix: Somatic practices, embodiment

Advanced Intuition Practices

Intuitive Business Planning

1. Set aside dedicated time
2. Enter meditative state
3. Ask: "What wants to happen in my business this year?"
4. Receive images, feelings, knowing
5. Write it all down without editing
6. Then use logic to create the plan
7. Intuition provides vision, logic provides strategy

Connecting with Future Self

1. Meditate and visualize your future self (1, 5, 10 years ahead)
2. See them clearly—successful, wise, aligned
3. Ask them: "What do I need to know? What should I do?"
4. Listen for their guidance
5. Your future self knows the path

Intuitive Problem-Solving

1. State the problem clearly
2. Release it to your intuition: "I trust the answer will come"
3. Do something else (walk, shower, sleep)
4. The answer often arrives when you're not trying
5. This is why solutions come in the shower

The Promise of Developed Intuition

When you develop and trust your intuition:

• You make faster, better decisions
• You avoid costly mistakes
• You seize opportunities others miss
• You work with aligned clients
• You navigate uncertainty with confidence
• You access wisdom beyond your conscious knowledge
• You have a competitive advantage

The Invitation

Your intuition is always speaking. The question is: Are you listening? In a world that values logic and data above all else, your intuitive capacity is your secret weapon. It's the intelligence that sees patterns before they're obvious, that knows which path to take before you can explain why, that guides you toward your highest outcomes.

Develop it. Trust it. Use it. Integrate it with logic and strategy. And watch your business decisions become more aligned, more successful, and more effortless.

Your inner GPS is always on. Learn to read it.

How do you use intuition in your business? What's your experience with trusting your gut? I'd love to hear your story.