How to use your intuition to make better life decisions? to Have you ever had a feeling that you should—or absolutely should not—do something, but you couldn’t explain why?

Maybe you felt uneasy about a decision.

Maybe you suddenly felt drawn toward a new opportunity.

Or perhaps that little voice inside you was saying, “Pay attention.”

I’ve learned to call that feeling my intuition.

And after 50, I’ve discovered that learning how to listen to my intuition has become an important part of making decisions about my career, relationships, health and future.

About five years ago, I was in a serious rut.

I felt as though life had handed me one disappointment after another. I knew I wanted something different, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to get there.

So I started paying closer attention to my instincts.

Over the following years, my life changed dramatically. I left a career that was no longer right for me, discovered new work, completed my health coaching certification, grew my YouTube channel and started building my own business.

Was intuition some magical force that guaranteed everything would work out?

No.

I think of it much more practically.

Sometimes our brains notice patterns, behaviors and signals before we’re consciously aware of them.

The question is:

Are we quiet enough to listen?

Here are eight ways I’ve learned to become more aware of my intuition—especially in this exciting season of life after 50.

1. Create Quiet Through Deep Relaxation

If your brain is constantly running at 100 miles per hour, it’s difficult to hear anything except the noise.

That’s why one of my first steps for strengthening intuition is simply learning how to become quiet.

For me, that might involve meditation, deep relaxation or spending time in nature.

You don’t have to make this complicated.

Take a walk.

Sit quietly outside.

Turn off your phone.

Breathe.

Give yourself a few minutes when you’re not consuming information or reacting to everyone else’s demands.

Sometimes the answers we’re desperately searching for become clearer when we simply create enough quiet to hear ourselves think.

2. Stop the Negative Mind Chatter

I call those repetitive negative thoughts mind chatter.

Why didn’t that person call me?

Why wasn’t I invited?

Does my boss like me?

Why didn’t more people remember my birthday?

Why did that person reject me?

I sometimes think of these thoughts as little ANTs crawling around in our brains—annoying negative thoughts.

The problem isn’t simply that they’re unpleasant.

They also consume our attention.

When we’re constantly replaying perceived rejection, criticism or disappointment, it becomes much harder to think clearly about the decisions that actually matter.

When you notice yourself getting trapped in mind chatter, ask:

Is this thought helping me solve something—or am I simply replaying it?

If there’s something constructive you can do, do it.

Otherwise, practice letting it go.

3. Pay Attention to Your Dreams

I’ve kept dream journals for years.

I don’t believe you need a book that supposedly tells you exactly what every object in a dream means.

Instead, I think the interesting question is:

What does this dream mean to you?

Our dreams may reflect experiences, emotions and concerns we’re processing.

That’s why I like writing mine down as soon as I wake up.

Keep a notebook beside your bed and record whatever you remember.

Include the date.

Then periodically go back and read your entries.

Do you notice recurring people?

Places?

Situations?

Emotions?

Dream journaling isn’t about predicting your future. For me, it’s another opportunity to become more aware of what may be occupying my mind beneath all the distractions of everyday life.

4. Use Personal Reflection Tools

I also enjoy using cards as a personal reflection practice.

For me, cards aren’t about giving away responsibility for my decisions. They’re a tool that can prompt me to slow down and consider what I’m thinking or feeling.

If spiritual practices are meaningful to you, you may find them useful too.

If they’re not, that’s perfectly fine.

You can accomplish something similar with journal prompts.

Try asking yourself:

What am I avoiding?

What do I really want?

What decision would I make if I weren’t afraid of other people’s opinions?

What is my instinct telling me that my logical mind keeps trying to explain away?

The important part isn’t the tool.

It’s creating enough space for honest self-reflection.

5. Pay Attention When Something Feels Wrong

Have you ever met someone and immediately felt uncomfortable?

Or considered making a decision and felt that something simply wasn’t right?

Don’t automatically dismiss that feeling.

That doesn’t mean every anxious thought is intuition or that instinct should replace evidence, professional advice or common sense.

Instead, think of a bad feeling as a signal to slow down and investigate.

Ask yourself:

Why am I uncomfortable?

Is there something about this person’s behavior I’m noticing?

Am I overlooking a red flag?

Does this decision conflict with my values?

Do I need more information?

Most importantly, intuition should never become an excuse for doing something dangerous or harmful.

Use instinct as one source of information—not your only source.

6. Notice What You’re Naturally Drawn Toward

Sometimes intuition isn’t telling us to run away.

Sometimes it’s saying:

Go look at that.

This happened to me during one of the biggest career transitions of my life.

I had spent years teaching, but I knew I wasn’t happy anymore.

I originally had plans for what I would do after leaving education, but the pandemic disrupted those plans.

Then, while sitting in traffic after work one day in 2023, I noticed a sign advertising a hospitality job fair.

Something about it caught my attention.

I went.

That decision eventually helped open an entirely different chapter of my life.

I left teaching, began working in hospitality, completed my health coaching certification, grew my YouTube presence and started pursuing my own business.

One seemingly small decision helped change the direction of my life.

That’s why I encourage you to notice what repeatedly catches your attention.

It doesn’t mean you should immediately quit your job, empty your bank account or make a reckless decision.

Instead:

Explore it.

Research it.

Take one small step.

See where it leads.

7. Notice Meaningful Patterns in Your Life

I’ve always felt a special connection to nature.

For some people, a certain bird, flower, song, place or memory can have tremendous personal significance.

For me, mockingbirds have become one of those symbols.

I notice them during important periods of my life, and they remind me to slow down and pay attention.

Whether you interpret these experiences spiritually or simply as meaningful personal associations isn’t the most important part.

What matters is the effect they have on you.

Sometimes something as simple as seeing a bird, hearing an old song or walking through a familiar place can interrupt the noise and remind us:

What really matters to me?

That moment of reflection can be surprisingly powerful.

8. Combine Intuition With Wisdom

This may be the most important lesson of all.

Intuition doesn’t mean abandoning logic.

If you’re considering a major career change, look at your finances.

If you’re making a health decision, consider appropriate medical guidance.

If you’re entering a relationship, look at the person’s actual behavior.

If you’re starting a business, research the market.

If something feels wrong, investigate why.

And if something feels wonderfully right, investigate that too.

The goal isn’t to choose between intuition and rational thinking.

Use both.

Your intuition can tell you where to look.

Your wisdom can help you decide what to do next.

Why Intuition May Become More Valuable After 50

There’s something wonderful about reaching middle age.

We’ve accumulated decades of experiences.

We’ve met hundreds—sometimes thousands—of people.

We’ve experienced good relationships and bad ones.

We’ve made career decisions.

We’ve raised families.

We’ve succeeded.

We’ve failed.

We’ve survived things we once thought would destroy us.

All of those experiences give us an enormous internal library of information.

Sometimes you may recognize a pattern before you can consciously explain why you recognize it.

That’s why I think learning to listen to ourselves becomes especially powerful after 50.

We have something our younger selves didn’t have:

experience.

Don’t Ignore Your Dreams After 50

If you’re approaching 60—or you’re already there—you may still have dreams you haven’t pursued.

I certainly do.

Maybe you want to start a business.

Change careers.

Travel.

Get healthier.

Start dating again.

Write a book.

Create something.

Move somewhere new.

Or simply become a happier version of yourself.

You don’t need to have the entire path figured out today.

Start paying attention.

Get quiet.

Reduce the mental chatter.

Journal.

Notice patterns.

Pay attention to what feels wrong.

Explore what feels right.

Then combine those instincts with experience, evidence and wisdom.

Because sometimes the answer we’ve been searching for isn’t another person’s opinion.

Sometimes we need to become quiet enough to hear our own.

Your Next Chapter After 50

My life today looks dramatically different from the life I was living several years ago.

It didn’t happen because of one magical decision.

It happened through many decisions—some small, some enormous—that gradually moved me toward a different life.

And that’s what I want for you.

You still have dreams.

You still have goals.

You still have choices.

And whether you’re 50, 59, 60 or beyond, you still have time to create a healthier, happier and more purposeful next chapter.

If you’d like more videos about maximizing your health, wealth and happiness after 50, subscribe to my YouTube channel and join me on this journey.

And tell me in the comments:

Has your intuition ever told you something that turned out to be right?

I’d love to hear your story.

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