How do we decide on an action?
How Emotional Intelligence influence our actions?
So habits and Emotional Intelligence are kind of alike?
HeadCoach is the Magical Armlet on your hero journey to a better you
In the past five decades, remarkable strides have been made in unravelling the intricacies of Emotional Intelligence, giving rise to various comprehensive models proposed by leading researchers. Notably, Daniel Goleman's model stands out, delineating key components like self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation.
This heightened understanding of emotional intelligence has catalyzed its integration into educational realms. Modern schools and universities are placing increasing emphasis on nurturing emotional intelligence skills in tandem with academic achievements. The recognition of its significance has transcended academia, finding a pivotal place in the professional sphere. Employers now acknowledge the profound impact of emotional intelligence on workplace dynamics, leading organizations to prioritize its development in leadership training, employee programs, and team-building initiatives.
Beyond the confines of offices and classrooms, this awareness has extended to the sports arena and training grounds. Forward-thinking coaches, at the forefront of their field, are actively experimenting with integrating Emotional Training seamlessly into physical training sessions.
Enter HeadCoach, the brainchild of a visionary coach, Jonathon O'Neill. Recognizing a gap between the intellectual understanding of Emotional Intelligence and the need for tangible, actionable programs to elevate athletes, Jonathon envisioned and brought to life the HeadCoach platform. This innovative platform bridges the divide, providing athletes with the practical tools they need to enhance their emotional intelligence and, consequently, elevate their overall performance.
HeadCoach initiated its approach by delving into the fundamental question: How do we make decisions and take actions? Every action, no matter how minor, begins with an individual processing an event. In our model, we conceptualize a person's 'brain state' as the intricate interplay of their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours at the precise moment an event unfolds. The nature of this 'brain state' significantly influences the ensuing action – a person with a positive 'brain state' is more likely to produce a positive action compared to someone experiencing anger, for instance.
Once the event undergoes processing and an action is determined, the action framework comes into play. This framework intricately weaves communication with the person's environment, meticulously detailing the action's specifics and orchestrating its execution. This entire process occurs with astonishing speed, repeating itself in every moment of our lives, even during periods of sleep! HeadCoach recognizes the rapidity and complexity of this decision-making process, aiming to enhance individuals' understanding and mastery of it.
In the aforementioned model, the immediate 'brain state' serves as the controller dictating the action taken. However, we are well aware that humans possess a remarkable capacity to moderate and govern their actions despite the prevailing 'brain state'. Take, for instance, an actor delivering a confident performance even in the face of stage fright. This ability to exert influence over the choice of action is commonly referred to as Emotional Intelligence, because it is the emotion of 'fright' that the actor is overcoming.
Drawing insights from the work of Bar-On, Emotional Intelligence is revealed as a fusion of inherent traits and learned skills. This crucial understanding emphasizes that Emotional Intelligence is not solely predetermined; it is a blend of both traits we are born with and capabilities we cultivate throughout our lives. This insight is transformative; it illuminates the path to personal growth and development by granting Emotional Intelligence mastery over our instinctive 'brain state'. In essence, it reveals that we have the power to become better individuals by actively cultivating and refining our Emotional Intelligence.
All living creatures develop habits. These are responses to re-occurring events that are learned over time. Habits are interesting because they dampen, or attenuate, the level of control that our 'brain state' has over deciding on an action. The aforementioned actor will deliver their lines with aplomb despite their stage fright because thy have developed their presentational habit.
This leads us to consider of all habits are equal?
Psychologists believe that good habits help us deal with our needs in a safe, predicable and dependable way. They are described as levels of human development. A person needs to be satisfied the lower level, which are security needs, so that they can thrive at the more complex level, which are growth needs1. The renowned psychologists Abraham Maslow and Scott Barry Kaufman created the 'Sailboat of Needs' that helps us understand the idea of needs.
Level 1: Safety - The Essentials. It includes stuff like eating, drinking, sleeping, staying fit, having a stable place to live, feeling secure, and having good healthy practices.
Level 2: Connections - Teaming up, making friends, playing teammates, working with coaches.
Level 3: Self-Esteem - Power-Ups for Your Confidence, where your achievements, recognition, and self-confidence come into play.
Level 4: Exploration - The core of all sports, seeking out and taking on new challenges, learning new skills, driving for novel and uncertain goals. This is the stuff that makes our lives interesting.
Level 5: Love - The needs to now are about loving ourselves, but this need is different, it is about opening ourselves up to loving someone else. This is the scariest of the levels so far as we need to be vulnerable and honest.
Level 6: Purpose - Life isn't a game to be won, but an experience to be lived. Having a purpose gives us goals, direction and passion. It gives us meaning to live as we get older and less bendy.
Reiterating our earlier discussion, habits are learned actions that serve to modulate our 'brain state'. This modulation is achieved through the consistent practice of habits that prove to be beneficial. The positive impact of beneficial habits extends to our Emotional Intelligence, where regular practice enhances our ability to influence our actions in response to new events.
Think of Emotional Intelligence as the playbook guiding our responses to novel situations. This playbook is intricately written by the experiences cultivated through our habits. The more diligently we engage in positive habits, the more refined and effective our Emotional Intelligence becomes in steering our actions when faced with new challenges. It's a dynamic interplay between habits and Emotional Intelligence, shaping our responses and strategies for navigating the complexities of life.
Jonathon's framework, as integrated into HeadCoach, is meticulously crafted to facilitate the enhancement of your Emotional Intelligence across various dimensions. Firstly, the Emotional Intelligence Strategy Training ingrains effective strategies for navigating events both on the training ground and in sports arenas.
Secondly, the Habit Tracker serves as a guide, aiding you in identifying and cultivating positive habits that propel you up the Maslow needs hierarchy.
Thirdly, the Wellbeing and Performance Journals act as invaluable tools for labeling and recognizing situations and 'brain states' that may impede your ability to deliver a peak performance. These journals provide a reflective space to dissect, understand, and optimize your mental and emotional states, contributing to your continuous growth and success. Together, these components form a comprehensive system, empowering you to not only understand but also actively develop your Emotional Intelligence for heightened performance and wellbeing.
