Making decisions: heart or head?

'I know it fits the brief, but it just doesn't feel right!' How many times have you heard this on the TV programme, Location Location Location and other property shows? No matter what it looks like on paper, most people know when they find 'their home' and it's usually accompanied by an emotional reaction which sends presenters, Kirsty and Phil, into an excitable spin. Yet many people would argue that you should use your head when making life-changing decisions like buying a house. So, how should you make decisions?

Recently, I've made a decision that goes against the advice of some experts I've consulted. Yes me - the ultimate conformist and people pleaser. Why? Because the choice I made felt right for me at that time. And, I believe the best decisions I've made in life have come from my heart. It's how I've found my animals - how else can you explain the arrival of Moose, a rather expensive souvenir of a holiday in Ireland? But, look at how much joy he brought? Similarly, when I tried Wilbur all my lofty ambitions about intermediate eventing melted as I grinned from ear to ear. I didn't care if we never jumped a stick again. In fact, buying a horse must be heart-felt because if we looked at how much they cost in money and time, surely no-one in their sane mind would buy one!

Then I look at the decisions I made with my head, and it's not such a happy tale. I did a University degree that, if I'm honest, didn't really make my heart sing. It was a choice based on advice from well-meaning career advisors, friends and family.  As a consequence, I started my working life as an unhappy research chemist. Thankfully, fate stepped in - I escaped the laboratory and pursued a career in clinical research which I loved because it played to all my strengths.  This, in turn, provided the opportunity to follow my passion of writing - technical and equestrian. And it's through combining writing and equestrianism that I found myself in the press tents at international three day events such as Badminton, Blenheim, and the Eventing Europeans in Fontainbleu, interviewing my heroes of the sport and seeing my work in print. Happy days!

When we follow our heart, we are actually taking note of our gut instinct. This inner voice, or our subconscious, knows all the answers we need to live our life well. However, it's often drowned out by the constant chatter we have going on in our heads. As Susan Jeffers says in her brilliant book, 'Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway', there are no right or wrong choices, just options with different outcomes and consequences. So, next time you have an important decision to make, by all means write down the pros and cons and do your research, but best of all, quieten your mind and tune in to what feels right for you, because then you'll be tapping into the heart of who you really are.

What decisions have you made using your heart or head and how have they turned out for you?


Kathryn White is owner and director of Cathean Ltd Medical and Copy Writing Services. She is a published medical, copy and equestrian writer with a passion for creating compelling text in collaboration with her clients. Her customers include pharmaceutical, healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world.