making decisions with your heart
In the midst of analyzing a spreadsheet full of career options, pros, cons, and practical considerations with my client, I noticed something missing: the heart. We were fully immersed in the logic and next steps but the emotional and intuitive aspect of decision-making was left out.
It’s easy to forget how powerful the heart is when making choices, especially in something as monumental as a career change. I dare to say you should consider your heart in almost any decision you make from what ice cream flavor you want to bigger decisions that impact you as well as everyone around you.
Honestly, why wouldn’t you add your heart to the mix? After all, major life decisions like switching careers, relocating, retiring, or beginning a new relationship all deserve to be viewed through your heart. Heart-centered decisions resonate on a deeper level. You are not only considering external success. You are considering internal fulfillment.
Asking questions like “What would your heart say?” and “What would your heart do?” seem pretty relevant to major decisions. You are thinking about committing to something big. It is a 24/7 change. It will affect how you view yourself, how you live your life, and how you interact with others. It will affect your emotional and physical well-being. It should feel right—not just logically, but emotionally.
You are probably asking “How do I ask my heart if I am making the right decision?”, “What if my heart says no to a decision I thought I should make?”, “What if I’m not sure?”
Here are a few things to consider when making heart-centered decisions:
Intuition - Often, our heart knows what’s right before our mind can rationalize it. It’s that inner voice or sensation that guides you toward what feels aligned or warns you when something is off. Trusting your intuition means paying attention to how a decision makes you feel beyond logic.
Fear vs Love - Ask yourself if the decision is driven by fear or love. Fear-based decisions often come from a place of anxiety or scarcity, whereas love-based decisions come from trust, openness, and abundance. Choosing from a place of love is about allowing yourself to move toward what you desire, even if it feels uncertain or vulnerable.
Values - Making a heart-centered decision should reflect your core values. For example, if courage, compassion, generosity, or vulnerability are among your values, does the decision align with these?
Courage and Vulnerability - Heart-centered decisions often require stepping outside your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Ask yourself if the choice demands courage and a willingness to be open to change and growth.
Authenticity - Authenticity requires being honest with yourself about your fears, limitations, and doubts while still moving forward with what feels true to you. Does the decision connect with your true self, not just the self you think you should be?
Balance and integration - Does this decision help you create the life you want? Balance refers to how well a decision maintains harmony across different areas of your life, such as work, relationships, health, and personal fulfillment. It’s also about creating a life where your personal, professional, and emotional needs are interconnected.
Purpose - A heart-centered decision connected to purpose often feels fulfilling and energizing because it resonates with your deeper desires to contribute and make a difference. Will this decision help support your purpose or help you find it?
Transformation - Will this decision lead to the personal growth you are seeking? Transformation through heart-centered decisions allows you to align more closely with your authentic self, helping you evolve into the version of yourself that reflects your highest potential.
Passion - Consider whether the decision aligns with your passions and what genuinely excites you. Heart-centered decisions driven by passion lead to greater fulfillment because they are rooted in what you love to do, not just what you feel obligated to do.
Joy - Will this decision bring you joy? Heart-centered decisions guided by joy lead to greater well-being and satisfaction because they honor what genuinely nourishes your spirit.
When we make decisions from the heart, we are not just investing in what we want to achieve; we are investing in who we want to become.