New Year’s Resolution: Flex Your EQ

The EQ-i model gives you a great template to not only know, but improve your self-awareness, your relationships and the way in which you engage the world around you, so when you are making your New Year’s resolutions for 2015, start by flexing your EQ.

Following are 15 different suggestions—one for each of the elements of the EQ-i—for quick, helpful and perhaps stretching New Year’s resolutions.

Emotional Self-Awareness—Pause 5 or 6 times today—and just reflect about what you are feeling and why.

Emotional Expression—Share a feeling of hope, excitement or general contentment with a friend, colleague or family member. Let those around you know what you are feeling.

Assertiveness—State an opinion clearly—start with something easy like an opinion on a holiday movie you saw or where to go to lunch.

Independence—Go somewhere (to lunch or run an errand) by yourself.

Interpersonal Relationship—Check in on a co-worker/friend and ask about his or her holiday.

Empathy—Notice people’s expressions, tone of voice and body language, and if they look stressed about plugging back in after the holidays.

Social Responsibility—Now that your kids may have some new ones, donate old but working toys to a local shelter or day care center.

Problem Solving—Address a conflict you have with someone. Respect your opinion and the relationship, and step into the disagreement.

Reality Testing—Tell someone the story of your holiday without exaggerating any details, binding yourself to only specific, verifiable facts.

Impulse Control—Reflect on your actions and statements before you make them—in what might doing or saying this result?

Flexibility—Take a new route to work, home or wherever you are going—drive down a new street and notice things you have not seen before.

Stress Tolerance—Sit or stand up straight and slowly inhale. Fill your lungs and then slowly exhale. Do that five times—slowly. Deep breathing is a great stress reliever.

And most importantly (and challengingly) of all:

Self-Actualization—Engage in any one of these actions/activities as an effort to improve your Emotional Intelligence.

Optimism—Notice that a future that allows for such improvements and growth is hopeful and positive.

Self-Regard—Acknowledge that by engaging any of these actions you’ve achieved something pretty cool.

Happy New Year from all of us at OKA!