Instinct vs Intuition in Business Decisions

Hi, dear awakened entrepreneurs,

Welcome to The Awakened Entrepreneurship! I’m Valérie, and I’m so excited to share this first episode with you.

Today, we’re diving into a question I often get during my workshops and mentoring sessions: “How do I recognize intuition and distinguish it from instinct?”

This came up recently in my Intuitive Strategic Planning for 2025 workshop, and I realized it’s something many of us struggle with as conscious entrepreneurs. Both instinct and intuition are powerful, yet they come from different places and guide us in different ways.

In this episode, I’ll explain the key differences between instinct and intuition, share how to recognize them in your business, and give you practical tips to start trusting your intuition more.

Let’s start with instinct.

Instinct is primal. It’s the biological drive that ensures our survival. It’s fast, reactive, and often rooted in fear or the need for safety. Think of it as your fight-or-flight response—it’s what kicks in when you feel threatened or stressed.

In business, instinct might show up as:

• Feeling pressured to accept an offer quickly because you fear missing out.

• Reacting defensively in a tense conversation with a client.

Instinct is valuable when you need to act fast, but it’s not always aligned with your higher purpose. It often feels urgent, tense, and fueled by fear or the need to protect.

Now, let’s talk about intuition.

Intuition is higher guidance. It’s that deep inner knowing that doesn’t always make logical sense but feels undeniably true. Unlike instinct, it doesn’t come from fear—it comes from the heart.

The heart is the gateway to intuition, and intuition is the messenger of your soul. When we connect with the energy of our heart—whether through values, meditation, or working on our heart chakra—we create space for intuition to emerge more clearly.

In my own journey, intuition often shows up as:

• A gentle nudge or a feeling in the heart space that says, “This is the right path.”

• A sense of alignment and ease, even when a decision challenges conventional logic.

For example, there was a time when I had a logical plan laid out for my business, but my heart whispered, “Pause and wait.” When I listened, an unexpected and perfectly aligned opportunity arrived, one I could never have planned for.

Intuition is always guiding us toward alignment, growth, and impact. It requires trust and a willingness to open the heart, but when we do, it leads us to profound clarity.

Let me summarize the key differences between instinct and intuition:

Origin

• Instinct : Biological, primal

• Intuition : Spiritual, higher self

Energy

• Instinct: Reactive, urgent

• Intuition : Calm, clear

Emotion

• Instinct: Often fear-based

• Intuition: Grounded, peaceful

Purpose

• Instinct: Ensures survival

• Intuition : Guides alignment and growth

A helpful way to tell them apart is to check your body. Instinct feels tense and rushed—it might make your heart race. Intuition feels light, calm, and expansive or like you’re looking forward to something with ease and excitement.

3 simple ways to start tuning into your intuition:

1. Pause Before Acting:

   • When faced with a decision, take a moment to breathe and ask yourself, “Is this fear speaking, or is this inner guidance?”

2. Create Space for Stillness:

   • Spend time meditating or journaling. Intuition needs quiet to emerge.

3. Trust Small Nudges:

   • Start by following small intuitive prompts. Each time you do, you’ll build more confidence in recognizing its voice.

Thank you so much for tuning into this first episode of The Awakened Entrepreneurship!

I hope this has given you clarity on the differences between instinct and intuition and how they can guide your business decisions.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts! When was the last time you followed your intuition? How did it feel? Reply to this post or share your story with me.

In the next episode, I’ll explore another powerful tool for conscious entrepreneurs: how to align your business with your heart and higher values.

This is just the beginning of our journey together !

Warmly,
Valérie

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I’m Valérie Demont, a mentor for conscious entrepreneurs and a healer for businesses ready to align their work with their soul’s purpose. Through intuitive guidance, spiritual tools, and transformative strategies, I help you create a business that feels authentic, joyful, and impactful.

We all crave a brighter and more sustainable world through our vision—but it all starts inside us. By aligning my heart, intuition, and energy, ease and lightness is back to my day-to-day entrepreneur journey! I encourage to join me own this path so you can lead with purpose and create meaningful change.

If this post resonated with you, let’s go deeper together:

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Thank you for being part of this journey toward a more soulful way of doing business.

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