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Emotional proactivity, or emotional intelligence, is a critical part of success to me, but there are only a few to talk about. We preach proactivity in seemingly every facet of our lives and lifestyles (work, exercise, planning for the future, etc.), but too often fail to build a strong emotional foundation—one upon which most other facets of proactivity depend on and on which they build.
I recently had the opportunity to explore various aspects and benefits of emotional proactivity with a close friend, Brendon Burchard. He is one of the world’s foremost life and business coaches, a best-selling author, and a great guy. One of the most compelling thoughts he shared with me is that when his clients understand, apply, and master this characteristic, their lives change dramatically. I realized that his observations would be helpful to any aspiring businesskinda.com, to those in a management or leadership role, to those ready to raise their personal bar, or to anyone struggling with emotional consistency.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
Loosely defined, this term refers to how we want to feel, then make conscious decisions that help us feel that way all the time – while realizing that we are bigger than our circumstances… bigger than any given situation.
Burchard defines it this way:
“Emotions are fleeting. Feelings are then left behind by our mind’s interpretation of those emotions. When patterns of feelings increase, a mood is created, causing more emotions. These begin to stay with us for longer periods of time and become our vision of the self. Without proper emotional intelligence, this perception of the self can go sideways and quickly damage who we see ourselves as and become.”
Related: 6 important tips for improving your emotional control
It all starts with “VIBES”
Don’t run away just yet… I don’t mean “vibes” in the Gen Z sense. Instead, I’m using the word as an acronym – an acronym created by Burchard that describes a step-by-step guide to building emotional intelligence.
V – Vision
I – Insight and Interpretation
B – Bring the energy
E – Power management
S – Service to others
“Vision starts when we define how we want to feel as we go through our lives with intention,” explains Burchard. “Creating this vision is more than saying, ‘I want to be happy; it’s a thorough inspection of what kind of feelings we want to bring each day. Insight and interpretation enable us to proactively inspect what is happening. They allow us to separate how we feel from what is happening. Bring the energy speaks for itself: how we choose to apply personal energy every day. Power management, in the meantime, allows us to monitor and manage output and input, and service to others brings positive feelings, gives us energy and brings perspective to our lives.”
Each piece of the acronym is cyclical and builds on itself. As you improve your ability to apply these practices, you will see improved mental resilience.
Related: How to short-circuit fear (and even use it to your advantage)
The payouts
Who doesn’t want to be mentally stronger, and who doesn’t want that strength to be maintained from day to day, year to year, and decade to decade, regardless of difficulties or unforeseen inconveniences? These characteristics are only part of the reward of enhanced emotional intelligence. Again, in Burchard’s words:
“My clients now see themselves in a different light. They are not daunted by other people’s actions. They realize that circumstances – negative or positive – are not a direct result of who they are as a person. They have an intention about their emotional state, and it gives them incredible autonomy and clarity in any situation.”
Another benefit, he added, is that CEOs are better able to make decisions in difficult times while being innovative and creative, even in stressful and tense circumstances. And above all, overall happiness is improved, as well as energy and positivity, regardless of what is happening in their lives.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.