Reflection is important, and in a world in which everything is fast, we just don’t do it enough. Take some time, find a good nook, and get ready to be really honest with yourself. To really learn from our experiences, we must evaluate them and that is the point of reflection time - to learn what to do again and what NOT to do again.
Every one of us is busy. Between work, household chores, bills, volunteering, spending time with family, trying to eating healthy and exercise, parenting, and more, few of us make time to regularly sit down and sort through the chaos of our brains.
But as the Harvard Business Review points out, the best leaders are those who are able to step back and meditate on their experiences to create meaning. After all, if we aren’t able to learn from or get any meaning out of our experiences, how can they help us?
So grab a notebook or your favorite journal, something warm to drink, and find a quiet place where you’ll be able to be alone for a while to think. Take this time to help identify where you’ve been and where you are so that you can be ready to plan where you’re going in your best year.
Here are a few basic questions to get your started on your reflections:
What went well last year?
What did not go well?
What do you want to do the same?
What do you want to do differently?
Once you have the basics covered, it’s time a take a deeper dive. You may find that your personal experiences lead you to ponder different questions than listed here.
What disappointments or regrets happened last year?
What accomplishments were you able to celebrate?
Was there a specific theme that kept coming up over the year?
What did you learn about yourself?
What did you learn about others?
How best did you spend your time?
What was the worst time-waster?
What do you want to change relative to your schedule?
Who do you want to spend more time with?
Who do you want to spend less time with?
What filled you with joy?
What saddened you?
What held you back?
What moved you forward?
Sometimes self-reflection can be difficult and painful, but in the end, the results are worth it. There is no better way to improve yourself than looking back on previous experiences to see what they can teach you.
If self-reflection seems like an overwhelming task for you, try journaling to get your thoughts out or even try talking the questions over with a trusted friend. They may be able to help you see something you missed.
Slowing down can seem counterproductive when your life is busy, however, the valuable results you get during your reflection time can increase your productivity or even help you realize that there may be better ways to spend that time.
Once you’re finished with your reflections on the past year, come back tomorrow to continue preparing for your best year ever!