Happiness includes feelings of satisfaction, contentment and the ability to enjoy the many aspects of your life. Generally speaking the Emotional Intelligence assessment from Multi-Health Systems has identified four areas that comprise our feelings of happiness and our overall sense of well being. These four areas are outlined below as well as some questions that you can ask yourself if you want to create growth in that specific area.
Self Regard
If you recall from previous posts on the topic, self regard looks at how you feel about yourself. It addresses your level of confidence and your believe in what you are capable of doing. According to this model, happiness is defined as a by-product of believing in yourself and living according to your own values. Strengthening your self regard is thought to be a way to enhance your sense of satisfaction with your life and your overall feeling of well being. To do this you can:
- List past accomplishments to pinpoint the skills that you can leverage to achieve leadership success.
- Identify some actions (e.g reading motivational books) that can bolster your self regard.
Interpersonal Relationships
This addresses you ability to have well developed relationships that likely help shield you from the negative effects that can be associated with the demands of daily life. If those relationships are nurtured and maintained, they can help you to sustain feelings of happiness. Ask yourself:
- Do you have a close confidant outside of work who helps buffer any stressful or negative events that you encounter?
- How can you effectively leverage your network to maintain happiness in your work life?
Optimism
Optimism looks at the degree to which you are able to maintain a sense of calm or recover from a setback and disappointment. It also includes the degree to which you are hopeful for the future. A state of happiness includes you having an adequate level of optimism. When you think of how happy you are generally, ask yourself:
- How does your optimism increase your motivation or productivity?
- What can you do to impart this optimistic outlook in a transparent manner so that others around you can benefit?
Self Actualization
Self actualization is looking at your willingness to actively engage in ongoing development and growth. Whether you are confident in your capabilities or not, you should have enough self awareness to know when you need to improve your knowledge, your skills or your behaviors as a means of continuing your success journey. Happiness comes from having that openness to learning and growing, particularly when the opportunities are aligned with your values. Your level of self motivation and feelings of an enriched life ultimately drive your life achievements and overall happiness. Think about the question:
- Can you pinpoint the emotions you experience when you feel you are optimally using your talents?
Marjorie Wharton is a trainer, facilitator and coach who works with individuals and organizations to help them improve their performance. She is based at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business in Barbados. Follow her on twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. For more of her writing visit https://marjoriewharton.live
