Many people have a misconception about what emotional intelligence (EI) is. Some believe that it is having control over your emotions, which is clearly not the case. That would be like saying being smart means having control over how intelligent you are.

Emotional intelligence actually refers to the ability to recognize, understand, manage, use, and regulate your own emotions as well as those of other people. It also includes the ability to identify your own feelings and respond appropriately with them.

There are several different types of EI. People who show strong empathy and compassion are considered high in cognitive or thinking-based EI. People who are more concerned with getting positive feedback are said to have a higher social-intuition-based EI.

People with high self-confidence and self-esteem are typically thought to have a high level of ego-intelligence or egotism-related EI. While this may seem very powerful, it can sometimes lead to harmful behaviors.

This article will discuss why having a high degree of emotional intelligence is important for making good decisions.

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Relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance

Recent studies show that people who are high in emotional quotient (EQ) have better career and personal relationships. EQ is also linked to higher workplace productivity and efficiency, as well as lower employee turnover.

Research indicates that having low levels of empathy can be a warning sign for mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.

However, being able to recognize and manage your own emotions is an important skill to possess.

It’s also helpful in achieving success at work and in life.

Emotion-related skills like emotion recognition, understanding feelings, and controlling impulses help you deal with everyday challenges more effectively.

Ways to improve your emotional intelligence

A lot of people think that being smart is enough to succeed in life. That thinking something you have learned about before can help you succeed makes sense, but it misses the boat completely.

Being intelligent is great, but it will not make up for poor emotional intelligence. You need both to thrive in this world.

Emotional intelligence comes down to how well you use emotions to achieve your goals. For example, if your goal is to get a job then having an excellent mood is not going to help you.

You must be able to show enthusiasm while talking to potential employers or they will perceive you as being too calm and relaxed which may scare them away.

On the other hand, if your goal is to make friends then being aware of others’ emotions is important. If someone else seems happy, you should try to replicate that happiness by saying “yes” and doing things with them.

Be authentic

A few years ago, I read an article about how most people are lying to themselves when it comes to their decisions.

They make all these rational justifications as reasons for why they can’t give up something that doesn’t work, but inside them they’re not really sure if they wants to keep it or drop it.

So they sort of half-make their decision and then eventually take the less productive action because they don’t feel like putting into true effort.

This is very common with money issues — we get distracted by thoughts of what we could do instead, which is more likely to be spending another $100 on coffee than giving up our daily habit.

We also think about all the things we could spend our money on instead, creating a mental barrier to saving.

It takes a lot of strength to make a real decision so most people don’t know how to handle their emotions.

Understand your audience

A few years ago, I read an interesting article about how emotional intelligence (EI) can help you make better decisions. The writer mentioned that being able to recognize and understand your own emotions is one of the most important things to have as part of your EI.

He explained that when someone does something that makes you feel bad or angry, it’s hard to give them credit for their good qualities because they triggered your negative feelings.

On the other hand, when someone does something nice for you, it can be difficult to respond to the call to action because you don’t want to seem like they are getting too much attention or praise. You may even avoid interacting with them altogether if you feel this way.

This can totally cut down on your interpersonal skills. It can also prevent you from seeking out positive experiences, which again, goes against developing your overall happiness and wellness.

So, what do we learn here? If you want to improve your decision-making process, look into ways to enhance your emotional literacy.

You can learn some basic signs of emotion and how to control yours in order to facilitate more efficient thinking and communication. And, while yes, this will take practice, there are many resources and courses available now that can teach you these concepts.

Make it clear what you want

A few years back, I read an article about how to make better decisions. One of the tips was to be as explicit with your goals as possible. This makes sense. If you are not very clearly defining what you want, then you can easily get distracted by other things that seem more appealing.

Having high emotional intelligence means being aware of your emotions. But if you’re looking to make a decision, you have to take some sort of action or step towards that goal. So having high emotional intelligence also means being able to control your own feelings so that you don’t interfere with your decision making process.

That is why the second tip mentioned above is to be as explicit with your goals as possible. By knowing exactly what you want, you will be less likely to confuse the difference between “I haven’t made my mind up yet” and “I decided not to go after this.

Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important qualities in emotional intelligence. This means being the same or similar from day to day, hour to hour, and minute to minute.

When you are consistently doing something, it can create an overall consistency in your life. You will know what to expect from yourself, which helps prevent distractions and allows for more focused time management.

Consistency also gives people around you a clear picture of you. They may be able to form their own conclusions about you based off of your behavior.

A lot of things that seem mysterious about someone are actually due to inconsistencies. For example, people who think that someone is very secretive have probably seen a pattern of them staying home late without explanation.

On the other hand, if they see them at work every morning with a happy face, they might not believe that person’s existence outside the house.

Emotional lability is another trait that comes along with low EQ. People often refer to this as “losing your cool.”

This could be because you overextend yourself emotionally (overworking) by putting too much energy into relationships, work, etc. - tiring yourself out. Or, you could be using too many emotions for your daily workload.

If you notice yourself becoming short-tempered, take a break. Take a walk, do some exercises, whatever relieves your tension.

Be realistic

A lot of people make decisions that are not productive because they underestimate how much time it will take to achieve their goal or overestimate how difficult it will be.

They also believe things will easily “fall into place” once they have made the decision, but this never happens.

It takes a while to feel confident about making a decision so you must prepare yourself for possible setbacks. This can include giving up if you do not succeed within a reasonable amount of time.

By being aware of your limitations and chances of success, you can then work around these by seeking help from others or changing strategies.

You cannot control everything, but you should try to as this helps reduce stress and gives you more confidence in future attempts.

Learn to laugh

A lot of people think that being emotional is a bad thing. They believe it makes you too passionate about things, or gets you into fights with family and friends more often than before.

However, research shows that having an emotionally-intelligent (or “EI”) personality actually helps you make better decisions. In fact, there are some studies suggesting that high EI can be a key factor in success in business.

If you want to improve your decision making skills, then here are five easy ways to develop your emotional intelligence.

#1 Stop comparing yourself to others

This may seem like a crazy tip, but it works! When you spend a large amount of time thinking about how other people probably have what you wanted, you will never feel completely happy with yourself.

Instead of looking at the successful people around you, focus on learning from them. Find out what made them succeed and incorporate those strategies into your life.

By doing this, you will be developing your emotional intelligence. You will learn how to use motivation, confidence, and goal setting to achieve your dreams.