“Emotion is more powerful than reason. Emotion is the driving force behind thinking and reasoning.”
Norman Cousins
Have you ever paused to think about what drives you? It’s not just a plan, a strategy, or a checklist. Those tools are vital, but they’re lifeless without the energy to propel them forward. That energy comes from emotion.
Now is the perfect time to step back and shift your thinking. When you plan for the year ahead, don’t just focus on the steps or outcomes. Ask yourself: What emotions will fuel this goal? What do I want to feel when it’s achieved?
Why Harnessing Emotion Matters
1. Emotion Expands Your Capacity
Ambitious goals often feel out of reach at first. It’s not logic that stretches you beyond your limits; it’s the passion and belief that fuel your commitment. Without an emotional connection to the purpose behind the work, those goals will remain ideas instead of achievements.
2. Emotion Sustains Perseverance
When the challenges come—and they will—it’s your emotional energy that keeps you going. Perseverance isn’t a product of reason alone. It’s the deep connection to why you started in the first place that pushes you through obstacles.
Planning with Emotion
When you’re mapping out your goals, don’t stop at the what. Ask yourself:
- What emotion do I want this goal to invoke in me?
- What emotions will inspire my team to push forward?
- How can I infuse these feelings into every step of the journey?
Leadership isn’t just about strategy. It’s about creating an environment where people, including yourself, are motivated by purpose and energized by possibility.
Recommended Resource:
For insights into how emotion and intrinsic motivation fuel success, read Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink. It’s a powerful guide to understanding the deeper forces that sustain performance.
Harnessing emotion is not a soft skill—it’s a leadership necessity. Without it, even the best plans lack momentum. With it, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
