How Emotional Intelligence Effects your Business: The reason you struggle to complete that project might not be the work.
Have you ever found yourself with a project to do, tasks broken down, clarity on your next steps, and yet, you are having a hard time getting that project done?
Same.
Sometimes it’s not just the work that gets in the way of finishing projects, it can also be affected by how we feel. One of the hardest parts of being a small business owner is also managing all the emotions that come with running a business.
Here are three of the common feelings that I come across that prevent us from getting projects done.
Overwhelm
We all know this feeling, it can be a mean one. You may have lots of ideas but no idea where to start. It can feel like a lot. Sometimes too much.
If you find yourself overwhelmed with ideas flying all about your brain, try this tip. Start with a good old-fashioned brain dump. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write down everything that is flying around in your brain. At the end of the 5 minutes, ask yourself:
What is the most important thing to me right now?
What is the single next best step I can take?
Projects are made up of a bunch of tiny little steps. So give yourself some space to first honour all the ideas you have by getting them out of your head. Then you can focus on your next tiny little step. The Pomodoro technique is a big help when trying to create a focus space for yourself.
Busyness
You know the feeling, you’ve got a million things to do and you “just can’t find the time”. Unfortunately, we live in a society that treats busyness as a badge of honour. Some people feel that being busy is the way to achieve success or are keeping busy because the stillness causes anxiety. These are pretty normal feelings. So, my advice: slow down. Make a plan & prioritize what is important.
And take a break.
There is plenty of research that suggests that taking breaks can have a powerful effect on your body. And your brain is not idle when you are taking a break, you’re processing. Give yourself some space to breathe and recharge. Once you stop go, go, going you may find it becomes a little clearer how you can make the time for this project.
Lastly, your actual feelings about the project.
Maybe the thing you are working on is bringing up feelings that are difficult for you to look at. Instead of trying to just power through, take a moment to acknowledge those feelings and what they may be trying to tell you. Step one is to name those feelings - I like to use a feelings wheel to get real clear on the emotions coming up. Then ask yourself what is coming up for you? Remember, emotions are a signal. What are your feelings about this project signalling to you?
