Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
-Steve Jobs
Do you hear your inner voice?
Are you following your intuition?
Are you believing in yourself?
It is hard to answer, don’t you think? I think I am strong, I can make decisions of my own free will, I am free, and I speak up…
Until I am in a situation where I ask others, “What do you think?”
You may be surprised, but people ask me that question too!
Working in corporate, to develop my own career, I’ve had to consider what others think. Am I articulating correctly so it is well interpreted? I think I spend more time worrying about this than thinking about what I want. That’s no way to make decisions. So what am I going to do about that?
Normally, a corporate life has some predefined career paths. Not formally, but with the skills you develop and your experience, it is common to have the expectation of what is next, depending on your desired career path.
It makes sense from the organizational perspective, but from the personal perspective?
Not always.
Then there’s the fact that those promotions we wanted may not be what we actually wanted. We get mixed up, what we really want vs. what our career path tells us we want.
I’m using an example from career development, which is so difficult when trying to shape our own selves. From the time we start school, we start to build a concept of what success looks like. Most of the time, it is safer following known paths, and building proven reputation and status. It’s hard to compete with reputation and status.
So when we say we need to listen to our inner voice, that comes with a bit of work. We have to ask ourselves what is our inner voice and what does our inner voice sounds like.
Here are 8 tips for practicing finding and listening to your inner voice:
1. Book moments to be with yourself. There will be times when you are doing something that doesn’t require much thinking, like folding laundry, washing dishes, taking a shower. Do it in silence. No distractions. No music, TV, radio, or podcast. Let your thoughts come to you and listen to what your inner voice has to say.
2. Go for a walk in nature. Listen to nature, and let your thoughts flow.
3. Go to a public place alone. When you’re at Starbucks by yourself, having your coffee, don’t be on your phone or another type of distraction. Good news, though! A journal is allowed!
4. Journal using a notebook and pen. This is a great way to let your thoughts flow through writing, to get them out of your head. No worries about spelling, grammar, or handwriting. Just let it flow.
5. Do something you really enjoy! The goal is to be in a state of flow. This means you are in a perfect state of YES I CAN, so your mind can be free to speak from a happy place, giving the freedom to your inner voice.
6. Have a person who you can trust in confidence, free of judgment, and who can do the job of listening to your free flow of thoughts. This also practices your pitch to someone else, in case you need help speaking up.
7. Be curious. Ask WHY. This will help you to be available to different emotions, to try different things, to be more exposed, and to have more feelings with different intensities and patterns.
8. Start to recognize your emotional patterns and prepare some hacks to have you in a positive state, so your inner voice is not fading.
Try these tips to be more aware of your inner voice, so you can be more confident when you stand up for yourself.
Hope this is helpful and never forget, YOU DECIDE!
6 Comments on 8 Tips to Listen to Your Inner Voice and Become Your True Self
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Anna I love this so much!!
We are all guilty of doing things because we think we’re supposed to do them rather than doing them because we want to do them.
I want to spend more time with myself but it is super hard. I often get tempted to listen to music when I’m alone in silence. Do you have any tips on how I can get comfortable with being alone with myself in silence??
Hello Avuma. Thank you so much for your comment.
Regarding the tips to be more comfortable with yourself in silence, first think it is intentional, like a planned task, then start with a planned short time.
Like, I am spending the next 10 min with myself in silence, and then dont forget to journal what you feel and what are your thoughts.
Do this consistently, perhaps the first time you will be counting the minutes, and write it, after a while you will be more comfortable, and you will be listening to your inner voice.
Let me know if it works.
Thank you so much Anna❤️
I first took small steps like no phone or music when going to the bathroom. I’m also mindful of when I want to play music just so I can avoid my own thoughts.
I decided to take morning walks alone in silence. They are my way of being with myself because at the moment being alone and doing nothing is just too much to handle.
You are amazing!!! What you are doing are great steps to listen to your inner voice. Great job.👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you Anna😊!