Intuition as a career guidance tool

When it comes to our careers, the vast majority of us are over-analytical and under-intuitive. By leaving our intuition largely out of the picture, we're cheating ourselves of an incredibly valuable tool that could guide us to a richer, happier, more fulfilling life.

An article [update - it's a dead link now] on the American Counseling Association website points to the value that intuition can have in helping clients resolve career dilemmas, and offers some ideas for how to take an intuitive approach to problem solving. They include:

* Programming Dreams
* Drawing or doodling
* The personal "success" collage
* The dream inventory
* Guided fantasy
* Programming a successful day
* Journaling
* Stating and writing affirmations and intentions

[Update: The link is dead, but I found the article cached on google. Here is more info on each of the above. The author is Carole Kanchier, Ph.D., author of Dare to Change Your Job - And Your Life. The article is originally from CounselingToday On-line and also appears in the print version of CounselingToday (Vol. 39, no. 8).]

Problem solving techniques

The following strategies have worked with my clients and students overthe years. Encourage your clients to identify those that work best for themand to use them regularly.

Programming Dreams. Verlynne was bored with her bank job. I suggestedshe ask her dreams for guidance. She asked the specific question: "Pleasetell me whether I should remain in the financial industry?" She wrotethe problem down in a journal which she kept beside her bed to record herdreams. I advised her to state, "I will have such a dream, rememberit, and understand it." I suggested she repeat the question severaltimes before falling sleep. The next day, Verlynne was drawn to a binderof job listings. A loan officer job at another bank attracted her attention.She attained the position and has since had two promotions.

After learning to program dreams, answers may come during the night,in the morning or the next day. To help clients interpret their dreams,tell them to look for the main symbols. For example, the sequence of events,how they felt upon awakening, how the dream ended, colors, words, phrases,sights, smells, sounds, people, etc. Also advise them to note any internaland external cues they receive the next day.

Drawing or doodling. To help Kathleen regarding the principal'sposition, I asked her to write her question as clearly as possible on alarge sheet of paper. Underneath her question, I suggested she use coloredpencils to draw whatever came to mind or flew through her hands. She continueddrawing until she had nothing to add. To her surprise, Kathleen had drawna test tube and students in a science classroom. She realized she reallywanted to continue teaching science.

To help your clients interpret drawings have them observe the symbolswithin the sketches and the sequence of steps. What do these symbols meanto them? Ask them to pay attention to their thoughts and feelings as theystudy their pictures.

Sometimes intuition will give clients an unexpected answer. Barbara workedin advertising before she got laid off. She thought this might be a perfecttime to establish her own business. Although she asked her intuition toshow her the most suitable kind of business, she got symbols of people,sunshine, trees, nature, and time for family and friends. Recently married,Barbara understood this as an OK to take a few years off to develop othercomponents of her life. She is delightfully happy!

The personal "success" collage. Leanne's lay off fromher accounting position provided the impetus to follow her passion - arttherapy. She had completed her course work, but lacked the confidence tofollow through. I suggested she create a collage illustrating herself inher new work setting; who she wanted to be and what she wanted to accomplish.

Leanne glued pictures from publications on a large sheet of poster paper.The collage illustrated her desired goals, how she wanted to look, the personaland professional image she desired to project, who she wanted to be with,and other things that represented her concept of "success." Icounseled her to go over the items every day to remind herself that shewas this successful person. She also stated affirmations daily, completedother intuition exercises, developed a support group, and continued to havefaith that she would attain her goal. She is well on her way to achievingit.

Exercise. When Les came for counseling, he had investigated severaloccupations in the human resources field, but none excited him. Since hewas an active man, I suggested he pose a question to his intuition beforeexercising. A few days later, the answer came: "Create a job for myselfwhich involves my love of people as well as my ability to sell." Hestarted a successful monthly motivational group for business and professionalpeople.

The dream inventory. In this technique your clients spend about20 minutes writing down all the things they want to do, have, be and shareas quickly as possible. They create the people, feelings and places theywant in their lives. They consider everything as possible and ignore securityor financial considerations. Help them identify major themes that emergesuch as selling or fixing things. Then, help them brainstorm about occupationsthat would enable them to express their passions.

Sometimes, intuition presents needs that must be dealt with before clientscan clarify their purpose. For example, if they draw symbols representingnature or write about time for leisure or family, suggest they pay attentionto these needs.

Guided fantasy. Guided imagery can assist clients identify thekind of work and lifestyle they want. After helping your clients relax,counsel them to close their eyes and imagine themselves in their ideal occupationand lifestyle. Suggest they describe one day in detail, beginning with wakingand ending with going to bed. Advise them to note details of home and workenvironments, job duties, leisure activities, and their feelings about thetasks and people they encounter. What made them feel excited, happy, challengedor bored?

Guided imagery can be used to take clients throughout their life cycles.For example, as young children, what activities absorbed them? When theyare very old, what would they be most proud of achieving? What regrets,if any, would they have? What can they now do to minimize those regrets?

Programming a successful day. Help your clients attain daily goals.For example, Evan used this exercise in his successful job interview. Afterdoing the necessary groundwork, I suggested Evan visualize himself presentinga professional demeanor and confidently responding to questions.

This exercise can be offered as a homework assignment. Suggest your clientsrelax on their beds after waking, with their eyes closed. Counsel them tovisualize an entire day on a mental screen. Suggest they put a clock onthe screen and mentally move the clock forward each hour to the end of theday. Ask them to play a mental movie illustrating everything running assmoothly and successfully as they desire throughout the day.

Journaling. Many counselors use writing to help clients primethe intuitive process without forcing it. Writing down questions they needanswered enables clients to express and clarify thoughts and feelings. Advisethem to heed what they write and how they feel at the time. Suggest theysit quietly and note thoughts that emerge when they finish. Help them observefeelings and reactions beneath the thought, without analyzing.

This technique is helpful for clients who have lost jobs. It helps themvent negative feelings and explore questions they wish to address such as"Why me?" Translating events into words tends to diminish stressand increases self-understanding.

Stating and writing affirmations and intentions. Positive thinkingis powerful. Affirmations, potent statements of truths which sink deep intothe subconscious, help clients think and become the persons they want tobe. Therefore, counsel them to think, state and intend what they want, ratherthan what they can't have. Advise them to say, "I have excellent experienceand sound judgment," instead of, "I'm too old to get a job."Inspire them to state such affirmations daily.

Curt Rosengren
Passion Catalyst ^SM

Comments

[Martin]

Google to the rescue:
that dead link is still in the google cache:
http://216.239.59.104/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=cache%3Awww.counseling.org%2Fsite%2FNews2%3Fpage%3DNewsArticle%26id%3D6998%26JServSessionIdr011%3Dcmyu9kr6l1.app8b&btnG=Search

[Martin]

Ah, I should have read it all first ;) You alreday found it in the Google cache ...