Why Some People Seem To Succeed At Everything They Do
Lately, new ways to describe human interactions, social behaviours, and many facets of psychology have emerged on the social network scene. One of those descriptions is ‘high emotional intelligence’.
What is emotional intelligence, and why do people who have it tend to do well in all areas of their life?
Psychology Today says, “Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others.”
Usually, the following three skills are included:
1. Emotional awareness, along with being able to identify your personal emotions and the emotions of others;
2. The ability to harness emotions and apply them to activities like thinking and problem solving;
3. The ability to regulate emotions, including the ability to control your own emotions, and the ability to cheer up or calm down another person.
If you are wondering if you have high emotional intelligence (EI), or if you are interested in improving your EI to achieve personal goals in your life or career, here are eleven traits that people with emotional intelligence commonly share:
1. They Are Not Perfect
Perfectionism tends to get in the way of a lot of things, like finishing tasks and achieving goals. This happens because perfectionists have trouble starting things; they procrastinate, and are always searching for the perfect answer when there usually isn’t one. For this reason, people with EI are not perfectionists. They understand that there is no such thing as ‘perfection’, and they move forward. When mistakes are made, they learn from them and make adjustments accordingly.
2. They Understand The Balance Between Work And Play
When you work all day and all week, without making time for yourself, you add stress and health problems to your life. This is why people with EI know when to give themselves a break, and make time for play. In other words, if you need time to disconnect from the world, take the time. Unplugging from the daily grind will certainly reduce your stress levels and make you generally more happy.
3. They See Change As A Welcome Part Of Life
Rather than becoming distraught when change occurs, emotionally intelligent people understand that change is a part of life. Change encompasses both the good and the bad, and it is better to accept it than to fight it. Don’t be afraid of change. Instead, adapt to the changes around you and work with what you have.
4. They Are Curious About Others
Regardless of whether someone is outgoing and loud, or quiet and reserved, emotionally intelligent people are curious about others around them. This curiosity stems from being empathic. Empathy is one of the main contributing factors of EI, so it should be no surprise that the more you care about others, the more you will be curious about them as well.
5. They Experience Empathy
Empathy plays a huge part in emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, psychologist and author of Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, told The Huffington Post that empathy is one of the five components of emotional intelligence. He explained in a TED talk on compassion: