Emotional Intelligence 
in Work and Life

Ten Tips for Motivating Yourself
(Adapted from Emotional Intelligence at Work - Hendrie Websinger)

Four Sources of Motivation:

  • Yourself (your thoughts, arousal, behaviors)
  • Support friends, family, colleagues
  • An Emotional Mentor (Real or fictitious person)
  • Your Environment (the air, light, sounds, and surrounding messages)

Tips for using the different sources of motivation

Yourself

  • Become a Positive Thinker. Following are techniques that you can follow to become a positive thinker:
    • Use Motivational Self-Statements (example, "I can get done all that I have to do today"; "I can stick with it until it is successfully accomplished.")
    • Play Mental Games (Example, pretend it is the first day of a new job and approach the task that you were avoiding as if this really were your first day on the job).
    • Focus your thoughts and block off some time for doing intense work.
    • Use Mental Imagery (Relax, imagine yourself struggling with a task, imagine yourself regaining composure, imagine yourself succeeding and then imagine yourself feeling good).
    • Use Productive Self-Criticism.
    • Give yourself meaningful goals.
  • Move around to generate energy.
  • Relax
  • Break work down into small tasks.
  • Monitor your behavior to examine how it affects your motivation.

Supportive Friends, Family, and Colleagues

  • Develop mutually motivational relationships with friends and colleagues. Three basic characteristics of a motivational relationship are trust, suitability and availability.
  • Tell your friends what you are feeling.
  • Reciprocate.

Emotional Mentors

  • Choose as your mentor an individual who is extraordinarily motivating for you.
  • Choose a motivational moment in that person's life, and relive it often.
  • Call upon your mentor often.

Your Environment

  • Make it as healthy and helpful as possible.
  • Breathe clean air.
  • Tune in helpful sounds; tune out hindering sounds.
  • Use light advantageously.
  • Surround yourself with motivationally supportive objects.
  • Organize your workspace so it works for you rather than against you.
 Workshop Topics:

What is EQ?
Science and Principles
EQ Models
EQ Instruments/Business Application
Case Study

EI Toolbox

Tips for Enhancing EI:
Self-Awareness
Self-Regulation
Motivation
Empathy
Social Skills
Guidelines for EI Training
The Business Case
Suggested Books
Useful EI Websites