GetBeyondEQ

    Before you plan your next goals, clear the emotional clutter that’s been holding you back. December is a powerful month. Not just because it wraps up another year — but because it gives you a rare moment to pause, breathe, and look honestly at what’s been weighing on you. Most people jump straight into goal-setting mode: “Next year I’ll be healthier.” “Next year I’ll be more focused.” “Next year everything will be different.”   But here’s the truth no one likes to say out loud:   New goals don’t work when old emotions are still running the show. You cannot build a new year on top of unresolved frustration, unprocessed stress, ignored burnout, or outdated emotional habits. If you want 2026 to be your breakthrough year, there’s one thing you must do first: Clear the emotional clutter.   1. Reflect: What Emotion Followed You All Year? Every year has a “dominant emotion.” Overwhelm. Pressure. Self-doubt. Frustration. Or maybe: pride, gratitud...

  Before you change your habits next year, start with the emotional ones that sabotage your progress.   As the year winds down, most people focus on surface-level resolutions: eat better, exercise more, get organized, reduce stress. These are worthwhile goals — but lasting change doesn’t start with a new planner or a new gym membership.  It starts with your emotional habits. Because the truth is this: You don’t break old habits by force — you break them by shifting the emotional patterns that keep them alive. If 2025 is going to be your breakthrough year, the work begins now , before the ball drops and the pressure rises. Here’s how to clear out the emotional clutter so you can begin the new year aligned, empowered, and mentally lighter.  1. Recognize the Emotional Loops Running Your Life Every unhealthy behavior sits on top of an emotional pattern. Before you can change what you do , you have to understand what you feel. Ask yourself: What emotio...

  Family gatherings can test even the calmest person’s emotional mastery. Here’s how to stay grounded and keep your peace this holiday season.   The holidays are supposed to be joyful — warm meals, shared laughter, and traditions that connect us. But let’s be honest: they can also flip emotional switches you didn’t even know were still wired in.  Family dynamics have a way of pressing old buttons with new force. One remark from a sibling, one opinion from a parent, one “Are you still…?” question — and suddenly your inner peace feels like it’s dangling from a Christmas ornament hook.  But here’s the good news: triggers don’t have to control your holidays. With Emotional Dexterity, you can shift from reacting to responding — even when you’re sitting next to that one relative.  Let’s walk through how to stay centered so you can enjoy the season, protect your energy, and show up as your best self.  1. Identify Your Triggers Before They Find You H...

  Gratitude Beyond the Holidays: How Emotional Dexterity Deepens Thankfulness All Year Round Each November, as Thanksgiving approaches, we’re encouraged to pause and reflect on what we’re grateful for — family, health, friendships, opportunities. But once the holiday dishes are cleared and the decorations packed away, many of us slip back into old routines of stress, distraction, and emotional autopilot. The truth is, gratitude isn’t meant to be seasonal. It’s one of the most powerful emotional tools we have for creating daily balance and resilience — and Emotional Dexterity helps us make that gratitude stick. From Seasonal Gratitude to Sustainable Gratitude Emotional Dexterity is the ability to navigate your emotions with awareness, flexibility, and purpose. Instead of being swept away by stress or negativity, you learn to pause, reframe, and choose a more empowering response. When you practice gratitude through this lens, it stops being something you do once a year and be...

                                                              As the leaves fall and nature prepares for renewal, autumn invites us to reflect on what we too might release. Just as trees shed what no longer serves them, we’re reminded that letting go isn’t about loss—it’s about making space for growth.  At this time of year, many of us carry emotional “clutter”: negative self-talk, perfectionism, or old habits that weigh us down. These patterns can quietly drain energy and prevent us from moving forward. But when we practice emotional dexterity—the ability to recognize, reframe, and release unhelpful emotions—we create the clarity and strength to finish the year lighter and more aligned.  1. Let Go of Negative Self-Talk Notice your inner dialogue. Do you speak to yourself with kindness or ...

  October is the unofficial burnout month. The excitement of the new year has long faded, the holidays are still weeks away, and the workload seems to only grow heavier. It’s that moment when motivation dips, stress rises, and exhaustion whispers, “Just make it through.” But surviving isn’t the same as thriving. This is the perfect time to pause, reset, and realign. In Beyond Emotional Intelligence: Never Have Another Bad Day , I share how emotional dexterity—the ability to shift your state intentionally—can keep you balanced even in high-pressure seasons. When burnout threatens, remember - you can’t pour from an empty cup, but you can refill it with awareness and choice. Here are a few strategies to finish the year strong: 1. Recognize your energy drains. Identify what’s pulling you down—too many commitments, poor sleep, skipped workouts, or lack of connection. Awareness is the first step to renewal. 2. Reconnect to purpose. Ask yourself, Why does this matter? When y...