Using Emotional Intelligence to Set Our Intentions for 2025

By: Letitia Huger-Hill, LCMHC-S, BC-TMHP

Happy New Year!!!

The confetti has landed, the noisemakers have been popped, and here we are… ready for 2025! I remember a time in my life when I would set a list of goals for the year, and by June, I’d feel discouraged because I wasn’t anywhere near where I thought I should be. I would set career goals, fitness goals, health goals, financial goals, social goals, relationship goals — you name it!

What I began to realize was that all of my goals were a combination of things that lacked measurable results and specificity. I came to understand that I needed to be more specific when establishing realistic goals and set expectations based on the SMART goals framework. Adopting this approach was a game-changer!

The acronym SMART stands for:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Action-Oriented

R – Realistic

T – Time-Bound

By using this approach, I learned the importance of setting intentional goals. As we head into the New Year, let’s apply an Emotional Intelligence (EI) approach to our 2025 resolutions.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a vital role in supporting the creation and achievement of SMART goals by enhancing self-awareness and self-regulation. Self-awareness, a core component of EI, allows individuals to recognize their strengths, weaknesses, and emotional triggers, helping them set realistic and specific goals aligned with their capabilities and aspirations. By understanding their emotional responses and motivations, individuals can focus on what truly matters to them, ensuring that their goals are relevant and meaningful.

Additionally, self-regulation empowers individuals to manage stress, resist impulsive actions, and remain committed to their objectives, increasing the likelihood of achieving measurable and time-bound outcomes. Moreover, EI fosters social skills, empathy, and effective communication, all of which are crucial for collaborative goal-setting and accountability. When working on goals that involve teams or external support, empathy helps individuals understand others’ perspectives, fostering cooperation and aligning goals with shared values.

Strong social skills enable clear communication of objectives and expectations, ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page. Furthermore, emotional resilience, a byproduct of EI, supports individuals in overcoming setbacks and maintaining motivation. This adaptability ensures that even if challenges arise, individuals can recalibrate their SMART goals without losing sight of their long-term aspirations.

Are you ready to set SMART goals? I believe you are!!!