Self-Control – The Key to Reaching Higher Levels of Performance
The main feature of those who have high emotional intelligence is self-control – the skill that helps you delay short-term gratification in favour of long-term outcomes. People who control their impulses better invest in their cognitive, emotional and behavioural resources to achieve their goals. What is more, tests have shown that those who achieve top performance are, in fact, high scorers on the emotional intelligence scale.
Nevertheless, many find it difficult to rely on self-control, seeing it as a fleeting state of being. The down side here is that self-control is tightly connected to productivity, and when your self-control is at a minimum or even non-existent, so is your productivity.
People want to have self-control so that they can have a better chance of achieving their goals. As we all need a bit of help in this regard, we should take a look at a few things that people with high emotional intelligence levels rely on to keep themselves productive and in control.
They focus their attention on solutions
Emotionally intelligent people know that if their focus lies only on the problems that they face, then these negative emotions will block their self-control. That is why, they focus only on the solutions, thus becoming more positive and productive.
They know when to say No
Many people find it difficult to say no when asked to do something. Researchers have discovered that those who have this kind of difficulty will likely experience more stress and even depression, which destroy self-control. Emotionally intelligent people know that by saying no to a commitment, they respect their existing commitments and have the chance to successfully fulfil them.
They know there is no such thing as perfection
Human beings are not perfect and they can encounter failure many times in their lives. Emotionally intelligent people know this and they don’t set perfection as their target.
When you set perfection as your goal, you will more than likely end up disappointed and experience a sense of failure. You will constantly think about the things you have done wrong, instead of feeling happy and excited about the things you have done right.
They do not ask themselves what could have been
They avoid asking ‘What if?’, as they know that this is a loaded question. The more you think about all the possibilities or things you could have done differently, the less time you will spend being productive. Planning is something natural and necessary, but there is a huge difference between worrying and thinking ahead.
They stay positive
Staying positive will help you focus your attention and stay in control. Positive thoughts are like a cup of tea or like a warm bath, they help you get refreshed, and in the meantime, they help you exercise self-control. When things are going well, self-control is easy, but when things are going poorly, self-control is a challenge.
The main idea is that when you find yourself in one of those less than stellar occasions, you should think about a happy moment or a positive event, so that you won’t lose focus.
All these strategies can help you attain a higher level of self-control, self-assurance and productivity, but you should remember that in order for these strategies to work you must recognize the moments where you struggle with self-control, choose the best strategy, apply it and give it time to do its charm.
Know thyself better than anyone else!
One of the greatest tasks we can burden ourselves with is trying to fully grasp what is in our minds. We’re both complex, yet simple beings at the same time and it is not often easy to distinguish clearly between the multitude of ever-shifting thoughts that go through our heads day after day.
One could argue that improving our own performance, as opposed to measuring & improving that of others is more difficult, as we tend to become more complacent with ourselves.
We at The KPI Institute have understood this, and wish to pass this knowledge unto others. Our webinar, Understanding Personal Performance, offers a comprehensive introduction into the world of measuring and managing performance at the personal level, insights on the importance of performing a complete self-analysis, as well as examples of useful gadgets and apps that can enable you to assess performance in an exhaustive way and to make informed decisions.
In addition to this, if you feel passionate about teaching others how to better manage their own performance and achieve the highest possible levels of performance, our Certified Personal Performance Professional certification course will help you understand personal performance in its most intimate details.
Nowadays, the importance and benefits of measuring and managing performance within an organization are broadly known and agreed upon. However, seeing beyond organizational limits, performance-related principles and tools can also be useful for improving one’s personal performance, from physical activity to healthy lifestyle, from family life to leisure and from career planning to continuous learning.
Our certification course focuses on explaining the benefits of having a structured approach to life, on clarifying the specific processes and tools, as well as on the implementation of a sound personal performance framework.
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Tags: Emotional Intelligence, Personal performance, Productivity
