First impressions and intuitive observation

Here's something that might surprise you: a lot of intuition is really just very good observation.

Noticing details. Picking up on atmosphere. Clocking the slight change in someone's voice. Your mind takes all of this in and gives you a summary: a first impression.

So one of the best ways to train your intuition is to train your attention.

Noticing first impressions

Every time you meet someone, walk into a room or look at a new situation, you get a first impression. Usually it's gone in a second, replaced by thinking.

I want you to start catching it. Not to treat it as gospel, first impressions can be wrong, and we'll talk about that, but to start building a record of them.

When first impressions are wrong

Sometimes your first impression will be wrong. Someone you thought was cold turns out to be shy. A place you thought was lovely turns out to be a bit of a nightmare.

That's not failure. That's information.

Look at what happened. Was your first impression influenced by something from the past? By what someone else said? By how you were feeling that day? By how much you wanted it to be good?

Getting it wrong, and understanding why, is one of the best ways to get better.

Intuitive observation

This is the practice of looking at things with more attention than usual. Not analysing. Just noticing.