Post by Cheryl O’Donoghue, MS
I am humbled and awed by the work of Jena Nahnsen. Jena is pursuing a master’s degree in Music Performance, Clarinet from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has performed as a principal clarinetist in several bands and orchestras and her list of honors and awards is impressive. While completing her coursework, she works at Bennett Direct, a performing arts fundraising company, as well as runs her own private clarinet studio. She also co-founded Beyond Boundaries—a clarinet and piano duo, with her fiancé Jacob Metzler. With Beyond Boundaries, the duo plans and performs virtual concerts throughout the year and are dedicated to sharing the power music possesses to make an impact in the world.
Another thing about Jena is that she’s serious about investing in her own emotional intelligent (Ei) leadership development. For as long as she can remember, Jena has been on a path of self-knowledge and personal improvement. When my newest book—How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader—was released this past May, Jena received it as a gift. She took the assessment at the beginning of the book, worked through the exercises and read the stories about twenty leaders from all backgrounds and professional disciplines. In her words, “This book literally changed my life.”
Since then, she’s begun a blog at jenanahnsenmetzler.com dedicated to sharing her experiences in using Ei leadership attributes or “superpowers” to process her inner world, express herself outwardly and understand better the world around her. Her blog posts are highly relatable and personal. Jena shares her vulnerability in the hopes that doing so can help illustrate how you, too, can use your Ei leadership superpowers to change or improve your life and, ultimately, fuel your success…irrespective of your career focus! Check out one of her posts below.
Emotional Intelligence Improved my Musical Pursuit and Life (Part 2)
By Jena Nahnsen
Attribute #23: Engages in activities that bring joy, peace, and contentment.*
*Excerpted from the “Your Top Emotional Intelligence Leadership Superpowers Self-Assessment” featured in the book How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
How am I so burnt out from doing nothing?
I never needed more time for practicing. Truth is, I needed to learn more efficient practice techniques. The practice routine I had developed for quarantine was not sustainable and left me frustrated and exhausted by week 3. Looking back, I just want to slap myself awake because instead of then taking a break, I told myself this was typical burn out and it would get better in about a week. So I pushed through harder! Please learn from my mistakes!
Here’s where learning about emotional intelligence comes in. One attribute of Emotional Intelligence is essentially self care. When taking the Emotional Intelligence Survey I had to rate all of these different attributes. One being “Engages in activities that bring joy, peace, and contentment.” I am REALLY bad at this. I am very much a goal oriented and career forward person, so those sorts of activities equate to less focus on my goals in my head. These thoughts, of course, then spiral to falling behind and not making progress resulting in failure. Great mindset, right?
What I’ve learned is that my emotional intelligence for myself is quite low, and that is ultimately limiting my true full potential. When focusing on these activities that bring joy, peace, and contentment you’re not only taking care of yourself, you are refreshing your mind and approaching your work with a fresh and new perspective. You’re opening yourself up to alternate ways. You’re more willing to take risks and be vulnerable because you’re showing yourself love and that radiates in every outward interaction you then have.
I’ve found when focusing on self care, my relationships are better, my practice is more focused and efficient, I am more confident, and the list goes on. I read a tweet the other day that said this “Mental shift: I’m not behind or unproductive. I’m doing as much as my mind and body are allowing me to do under perpetual stress and fatigue.” What powerful mental shift! One could argue self-care is more important now than ever.
So why was I so burnt out from doing nothing? Simple, I wasn’t doing nothing. I was doing everything and desperately needed a break that I wasn’t allowing myself to have. I’ve since learned to stop being so work oriented and focus on being the best version of myself. It, in return, has improve all aspects of life, including my clarinet playing.
Read more of Jena’s blog posts here.
What are your Ei Leadership Superpowers? Take the assessment to reveal how spectacular you are! All book royalties from How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader (While Crushing Your Goals) go to support the good work and scholarships made possible through the nonprofit Mission Sisters Who Work.