How to Make Decisions Aligned with the Needs of Your Soul
Posted on September 18, 2020 by Natasha Naderi, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
This article explores how to move from decisions that drive your ego and safety needs, into decisions that tap into the infinite wisdom of your soul.
“My 3-year old son is unhappy at daycare, becoming a more anxious person, and getting sick more frequently. I will regret it forever if I don’t leave my job to take care of him.”
“I feel oppressed in this job. There is so much negative energy and backbiting. I don’t know where to go. Just know that I can’t stay.”
“I’m not living up to my potential here. The work is not aligned with my values and vision. I have to pursue my purpose.”
These are some of the promptings of my soul I’ve heard at various times during my life journey. They were so loud and persistent, that I could not ignore them. They are thoroughly annoying when they come, because they put me in an impossible place! I have to give up the needs of my ego – nice job title, salary, security, and take a huge leap without knowing how it will work out! I’ll have to jump off a cliff without knowing where I will land!!
Have you heard these promptings too?
With the onslaught of a global pandemic, wildfires, hurricanes, political upheavals, and so much more, we are hearing these kinds of promptings to do something differently, more frequently than ever. Life is short and the risks are high when we are out of alignment! How can we learn to make decisions that are consistent with the promptings of our soul and the needs of our interdependent society?
SIX MODES OF DECISION-MAKING
In the book The New Leadership Paradigm, Richard Barrett talks about Six Modes of Decision Making.
1. Instinct-Based
2. Subconscious Belief-Based
3. Conscious Belief Based
4. Values-Based
5. Intuition-Based
6. Inspiration-Based
1. INSTINCT-BASED decisions ensure your survival at the biological level. For example, babies instinctively know how to suckle and cry when they are born, in order to help them gain the food and attention they need to survive. As adults, your instincts kick in when you are in danger, such as the fight or flight response.
In this realm, actions proceed thought. And you are not consciously in control of your decisions.
2. SUB-CONSCIOUS BELIEF-BASED decisions are based on personal memories and experiences from the past and are often driven by emotions rather than rational thought. When you make subconscious decisions based on beliefs from the past, you are often responding to unmet ego needs.
In this realm, action still proceeds thought and you are still not consciously in control of your decisions. The difference is that they key decision driver is your personal experience instead of your biology.
3. CONSCIOUS BELIEF-BASED is the realm of rational decision-making based on conscious thought, information, and experience.
In this type of decision-making you switch to thinking before you act. You are in control. Yet, you still tend to make decisions based on past experiences and feelings, rather than on your infinite potential.
4. VALUES-BASED decision-making involves examining your past beliefs and experiences and letting go of the ones that do not serve you anymore. When you move into values-based decision-making, you can create a future that resonates with who you truly are and want to become.
Values-based decision-making is based on your personal values and the future you want to create. You are in control of your actions and consult with others to consciously create the best outcome.
5. INTUITION-BASED decisions allow you to tap into a deeper and collective wisdom of a larger group. This may involve giving up your personal preference in service of the whole. You shift away from your ego-system into a larger eco-system view.
With intuition-based decisions, you expand our awareness of the whole, suspend your judgment, empty your mind, and are open to thoughts that arise and reflect a wisdom that is greater than your own.
6. INSPIRATION-BASED decision-making is responding to the promptings of our soul. This decision-making enables your soul to fulfill its purpose in this world. Barrett mentions that some forms of depression arise from ignoring these insistent promptings of the soul.
In this realm, thoughts seem to appear from nowhere, they are persistent, and there are emotional consequences for not listening to them.
THREE WAYS TO ALIGN DECISIONS WITH THE NEEDS OF YOUR SOUL
Here are some tips you can practice to begin shifting to making decisions aligned to the needs of your soul:
1. Become Aware of the Level at Which You are Making Decisions. Do you tend to get stuck in rational decision-making based on your past experience, without considering values? When is that appropriate? And when might you need to shift to exploring the involved in the situation?
2. Practice Consultation. Through consulting with others and becoming more aware of diverse perspectives, you begin to expand your own knowledge, gain deeper levels of understanding, and tap into a collective wisdom that is greater than yourself.
3. Meditation and Prayer. Tapping into values, intuition, and inspiration is a spiritual practice. Take 5 minutes per day to quiet your mind, become present, and seek wisdom from your ancestors in the spiritual realm and the universe. Ask for guidance in decision-making. It may come in a dream or in a quiet moment. Listen carefully and pay attention.
At what level do you tend to make decisions? At what level would you like to make decisions? What practice will you start first to make a change?
