Is Perfect Timing Possible?

by Paul O'Brien

Have you ever passed up something that was good in the hopes that something better might come along? Do you find it difficult to tell the difference between a risk worth taking and wishful thinking? How many times has trusting your feelings caused you to make a decision that set you back?

Making great decisions with great timing is the subject of my book, Intuitive Intelligence.It is not easy, and you are not alone if you've experienced any of the dilemmas above. Unlike the “What” question (as in, what is the best possible next move), which involves logic, the “When” question (as in, when would be the best time to do the what) is almost 100% intuitive. In chaotic and fast-changing times, most people find it challenging to trust the almost magical ‘sixth sense’ known as intuition. It’s as if our wireless connection to natural rhythms has gone haywire with too much stress, too many interruptions, too much multitasking. Fortunately, it is possible to reboot our intuition and radically improve our timing by learning to notice and leverage synchronicity, the principle of perfect timing defined by the legendary psychologist Carl Jung.

Awareness of synchronicity is a doorway to new information from outside the ego’s box of black-and-white, all-or-nothing, now or never thinking. Putting on synchronistic glasses lets us see the holistic web of connectedness that weaves itself through our experiences, how things are connected in time. Most dramatically, this shows up in the form of meaningful coincidences.

Becoming aware of synchronicities as they happen is a special skill that takes practice. For one thing, it requires a willingness to make the paradigm shift from cause-and-effect analysis to a more open-minded, holistic and creative point of view that incorporates timing into the equation. To do this, you need to suppress a tendency to always be in a hurry, because timing may well be the most important factor. You won’t notice synchronicities when you are in a hurry, so slow down enough to consider the possible meaning in coincidences. We need to take this question of meaning more seriously, because an evolving sense of meaning is required for personal fulfillment and peace of mind.

Keep track of the amazing coincidences you notice, especially those that seem meaningful right off the bat. When a profound coincidence happens, you may feel it in your gut or in your bones. Such synchronicities are the ones that can broaden your perspective, invite insights and allow new opportunities to arise. These little miracles of insight will take you outside the box of what you think you know now. As you discover the personal meaning that synchronicities contain for you – messages that can help you succeed or evolve – record them. Give yourself a way to absorb their meaning over time and you will see how they make you more loving and wise, a better problem-solver, and more empowered to heal yourself and others.

You don’t have to be perfect at this. Even a slight improvement in decision-making produces better coordination that, like compound interest, makes your life exponentially more fulfilling over time. If you develop your mix of talents and pay attention to synchronicities, your odds of succeeding at whatever you put your attention to go up dramatically. Will there still be setbacks? Of course. But even your mistakes will be useful as you take in more learning from every experience. With less wasted effort, you will enjoy better results with fewer wrong turns. Worry and stress will go down. You will come to realize that you are in sync with your unfolding destiny. Your timing was perfect all along!