Why I allowed my intuition to trump my business plan
So I didn’t launch my group program, CalmOS, last week.
I developed CalmOS this spring as the 2.0 version of a prior group program. I am really proud of the curriculum and the results it created for the 15 women who have participated in it thus far, and yet…
It just didn’t feel right.
Running a group coaching program every fall is a core part of my business plan. I ran one last fall and have been planning to do so again this fall essentially since I started my business.
Yet, I could tell that when I started prepping for the launch this summer, something just didn’t feel right.
I assumed some of the resistance I was feeling was fear – the fear of having to overtly sell, not having enough people sign-up, generally being vulnerable – but that I could figure out how to manage it. After all, being an entrepreneur is one big exercise in feeling fear and doing it anyways.
This was my plan. It made sense. I figured my intuition would catch up with my mind.
I spent the entire month of August prepping for the launch. I created a new webpage and three weeks of LinkedIn and newsletter content. I was proud of how I refined the brand and messaging.
A few days before the scheduled launch, I was chatting with my mom about the program. I could feel that my body (and therefore my intuition) just wasn’t into it.
When I feel intuitively drawn towards something, I feel warm and literally compelled forward (this is different for everyone).
But when thinking about the launch? Na-da. Nothing. My body just felt empty.
As a big advocate of making decisions with both your mind and intuition, I had to listen to my own guidance.
So two days before the launch, I pulled the plug.
As painful as it was to put a month’s worth of work to bed (at least for the moment), I knew it was right.
I am trusting that by saying ‘no’ to CalmOS, I’m creating the space to say ‘yes’ to other opportunities.
I’m sharing all of this with you to give you the permission to do the same. Sometimes the thing – the job offer, current role or promotion – will make so much sense and yet, just won’t feel right.
And the more you ignore our intuition, the more frustrated, unfulfilled and confused you'll feel (I know - I've been there!).
It can be extremely hard to step away from the offer, role or promotion. You know all of the logical reasons to accept it or stay – you've worked so hard to get to this point, want future optionality, don’t want to let others down, don’t know what to do instead, etc., etc., etc.
You have to trust that intuition is leading you towards the right next opportunity even if you don’t know what it is yet.
If you find yourself stuck in a loop between your mind and intuition or are trying to figure out what your intuition is telling you, ask yourself:
What am I hearing in my mind right now? What am I feeling in my intuition? How are those two messages different?
What might be my mind's ulterior motive? Is it trying to do what looks right, avoid sunk costs, keep me in my comfort zone?
What could my intuition be trying to open up for me? What would it feel like to trust and follow my intuition?
What is the right answer for me, integrating my mind and intuition?
Listening to and following your intuition requires courage – you likely haven't been taught to use or value it – but will pay off 10x. I'm cheering you on!
P.S. CalmOS is not gone forever! I will likely run it again this winter. Stay tuned for more details and check back to the website for updates.
P.P.S. I have unexpected capacity this fall since I didn’t launch CalmOS. Stay tuned in two weeks for how I’m using it.
