I'm kind of into Ignatian spirituality these days, because it is an active as well as a contemplative tradition. It also focuses on discernment of God's will. Discernment, as described on one site I just googled, is
Discernment is more than just a skill. Discernment is a gift from God before it is anything else. Yet there are clearly skills you can put to use when using your gift, and you can become better at it through training and experience.
Discernment is more than just a process. Even for the most 'material' or 'nitty-gritty' matters, there is a Spirit at work nudging us, leading us, even pulling us by the nose ring. Then again, even for the most 'spiritual' matters, there are disciplines, methods, processes, means, and tools which the Spirit can work through to help us discern rightly. Discernment isn't usually a sudden zap from beyond, but something which emerges from hard work and close attention.
Here is one of the short prayers written by St. Ignatius:
Prayer to Know God’s Will
May it please the supreme and divine Goodness
to give us all abundant grace
ever to know his most holy will
and perfectly to fulfill it.
So, in answer to your question, it's a balancing act between really being quiet enough to hear what God is saying, and courageous enough to act on what you hear.