Emotional Intelligence - What is it and how do I tap into it?

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Lisa Lyttle, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

“It is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head – it is the unique interception of both.” – David Caruso

What is emotional intelligence? To put in simple terms, emotional intelligence is how well an individual reacts to the emotions of others, as well as how they identify and manage their own emotions. Becoming more emotionally conscious allows us to gain a deeper understanding of who we are, enabling us to build stronger relationships and communicate more effectively with others. Managing your own emotions can accelerate all areas of your life. It doesn’t matter what profession you’re in, whether it’s just you or if you manage a team of 50. Understanding how effective you are at controlling your own emotional energy is paramount to your success.

Research has shown that a person with a high emotional intelligence (EQ) will be more successful than a person with high cognitive intelligence (IQ). Statistics from Harvard, Stanford, and Carnegie Foundation show that a staggering 85–87% of our success accounts from emotional intelligence and personal skills, yet we ignore them 90% of the time.

Emotional intelligence is obsolete from our studies in the school curriculum. It is not something we have been trained for or have been tested on in school. Fortunately, it is something that you can learn. I challenge you to explore your own emotional intelligence, further develop and gain new emotional intelligence skills that you can implement into your everyday life.

The best way to start is to recognize how you feel on a daily basis. Most of us live very busy, hectic lives and we seldom give ourselves the time to just stop and check-in with our emotions. Over time, we forget how we feel and how our emotions physically impact our bodies. Practice taking a few moments everyday at the same time (set an alarm if needed) to just breathe. Become aware of how you feel emotionally and physically.

Once you start becoming comfortable with your emotional awareness, take the time to notice your behaviour. How do you act when you’re experiencing certain emotions? How is it affecting your daily life? Do you feel happy, stressed, angry, relieved, agitated, excited, frustrated…etc? The more conscious we become of our emotions, the easier it is to manage them. It’s important to understand that your feelings and behaviour are yours alone. They don’t come from anyone else. You, and you alone are responsible for how you feel and how you react. Once you start accepting this responsibility, you will start noticing all areas of your life becoming more positive. You’ll be reluctant to blame others for your emotional well-being.

What motivates you? How many times have you had an amazing idea pop into your head? You start taking action right way, you feel excited! But your excitement is short-lived. Your motivation fades as soon as the novelty wears off and adversity sets in. Understanding and connecting with what motivates you will help you complete your projects and achieve your goals.

Are you empathetic? It’s crucial to put yourself in other people’s shoes both in business and in life. Maybe you won’t fully understand or agree, but at the very least you’ll be able to come to a resolution and in turn will become a better and more respected boss, spouse, friend, parent, colleague, partner etc. Being able to recognize how others feel will make you more successful both in business and in life.

Back in the day, it used to be the more information and knowledge you had, the more successful you would be. But nowadays, everyone has immediate access to a myriad of information and knowledge. People skills are more important than ever. Ever notice that some of the smartest people can’t seem to move up and further their careers, yet others who are not as knowledgeable or experienced become extremely successful leaders? It’s because those people have a high level of emotional intelligence. They can communicate well with others and they have complete control over their emotions and actions.

When we take the time to learn, understand and nurture our emotional intelligence, we are developing the skills needed for success in life and business.

Start right now, tap into your emotions!

Lisa Lyttle
Life & Business Coach
1-415-484-5014
info@lisalyttle.com
www.lisalyttle.com

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