When we have a big question or an important decision to make, many of us look outside of ourselves for the answers.

We turn to Google. We get advice from our friends and family. We read books or consult the teachings of experts. Yet we often neglect to consult the most important authority of all: our own intuition.

Your subconscious mind is the source of your hidden genius and will always provide you with the knowledge you need to move forward in the right direction. This is true for all people, not just those who consider themselves to be psychic or highly intuitive.

Consider this: have you ever been thinking about someone – and out of the blue the phone rings and that exact person is on the line?

Or have you ever felt like someone is watching you – and when you turn around you see someone staring at you from some distance away?

These are just two common examples of your intuition at work. Just like memory, critical thinking, and intellect, your intuition is a mental muscle you can strengthen and use to create success and become the best possible version of yourself.

Here are seven tips on how to develop your intuition and leverage it to make wiser, more soul-inspired decisions for your life.

1. Recognize when your intuition speaks

First of all, in order to be able to use your intuition, you must able to recognize it when it speaks to you. Intuition usually isn’t loud or demanding – it’s subtle and communicates in different ways for different people.

For example, you may receive visual messages, such as images that appear in quick flashes or visions that unfold slowly, like a movie.

Your intuition might speak to you as a hunch, a thought, or in words. You may even be able to enter into a dialogue with your intuition to get more information and clarity.

Alternatively, your intuition may speak to you in physical sensations, such as goose bumps, discomfort in your gut, a feeling of relief, or a sour taste in your mouth.

You may receive intuitive messages through your emotions, such as feelings of uneasiness or confusion when your inner wisdom is steering you away from something – or feelings of euphoria and profound peace when you’re being guided down a path that will lead you to greater personal joy and abundance.

Sometimes intuition messages are simply a deep sense of knowing and certainty. If you’ve ever felt that you knew something to be true in the depths of your heart or soul, chances are it was a message from your intuition.

2. Deepen your intuition through meditation

In order to access your intuition, you need to deepen your connection to it – and meditation is an excellent tool for this. Regular meditation will help you clear your mind of distractions and teach you how to better recognize the subtle impulses from within.

I recommend you set aside time each day to meditate on your own, or use guided meditations such as those found in my Awakening Power program.

It doesn’t have to be long – even 10 minutes a day will yield powerful results and will make it much easier for you to notice your intuition when it speaks to you through words, images, emotions, or physical sensations.

3. Dedicate time to listen to your intuition each day

Life is busy, and in the rush to cross off items on our daily to-do lists, it’s easy to forget to stop and tune into our higher intelligence. But your most valuable wisdom comes when you are most open to receiving it.

That’s why I encourage you to devote time every day – multiple times a day, if necessary – to consciously give your intuition center stage. This is especially important when you’re being asked to make any important decisions. Be sure to take some time to sit with your intuition and look inside yourself for the answers before you choose which path to take.

4. Ask questions

Receiving wisdom from your intuition shouldn’t be a passive experience. Get specific about the information you need and what kind of answers you’re looking for. The more clearly you pose your questions to your innate wisdom, the clearer the answers will be.

5. Write down your answers

Intuitive messages are subtle and can fade from your conscious mind very quickly unless you take action to record them. In fact, neuroscience research indicates that intuitive insights not captured within 37 seconds will likely never be recalled again.

Journal writing is a highly effective way to access your intuition and capture its wisdom. I suggest you make a regular practice of journaling for just five or ten minutes a day – you’ll be amazed at the clarity of what comes through!

6. Take immediate action

The Universe rewards those who take action – and so does your intuition. When you act on the information you receive from your inner source of wisdom, you open the channel between your subconscious and conscious mind even wider and will receive more intuitive messages that are stronger and easier for you to hear and act on.

7. Trust yourself

The more faith you demonstrate in your intuition, the greater the results will be.

Whether you want to make better decisions, solve problems faster, or create winning plans for your life, you will achieve your goals faster and more effectively when you tune into your intuition and listen to what your inner wisdom has to say.

Trusting your intuition is all about trusting yourself – and the more trust you place in yourself, the more success you will have.

Easier said than done? I can help

Developing a strong connection with your intuition can be challenging, especially if you’ve spent a lifetime second-guessing yourself or not trusting your own decision- making skills, or if you have too many other “voices” in your head – voices of self-doubt, or blame, or judgment - drowning out your intuition.

If you feel like you need more help with this, I invite you to join me in person at Breakthrough to Success this August. In just five days, we’ll work together to quiet the voices that don’t serve you and strengthen your connection to your inner source of wisdom.

You’ll get clear on what it is you truly want from life – and the steps you need to take to make it happen. Plus, you’ll meet a huge group of supportive, highly motivated people who will cheer you on toward your goals, silencing those negative voices for good.

Or, if you’re looking for an even more powerful experience in a very intimate small-group setting, join me in Santa Barbara this April for my next private luxury retreat.

This is your best chance to work one-on-one with me as your personal mentor – and catapult yourself to a much higher level of performance in all areas of your life in just four short days.

Consider these two possibilities and ask yourself: what path is your intuition telling you to follow in order to create your ideal life and become the best possible version of yourself?

I look forward to working with you in person.