Life is jammed packed with daily experiences; some feel amazing while others result in turning your face beet red. Each one provides a wealth of information to help you learn. The key is to take a few moments to reflect on what sparked your reaction to the experience.
John Dewey reminds us, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.”
Reflection is a critical skill in both your personal and professional life and without it growth becomes impossible.
A few years ago I created a daily reflection practice, which has been very beneficial in helping me identify thoughts or behaviors I want to celebrate and do more of as well as ones that I would like to change or do less of.
One of the hidden benefits of doing this practice on a daily basis has been an increased level of confidence in my ability to create effective sustainable change in my life and business.
This is a practice I teach and support my clients to embrace. When an individual or team of people are afforded the time to honestly reflect on what’s working and what’s not, it creates a powerful space for them to move beyond where they are to what could be possible.
One of the guiding principles needed for this to be successful is a safety zone free of judgment where you can share your thoughts. Yes, that means not judging yourself or others! Simply be curious.
Don’t wait for a crisis to reflect on what went wrong! There is ample power in reflecting on what went right or felt amazing. It builds courage and confidence to continue doing it.
I’d like to share a series of questions I use when helping people create their reflection practice:
- What felt great today?
- What didn’t feel so great?
- What do I (we) think created this?
- How might I (we) think about this differently?
- What change could I (we) test tomorrow to create a different result or experience?
I know it’s tough to dedicate and preserve the time to do this when the pressure to do more keeps growing within the world we live, however, a recent study by HEC Paris Professor of Strategy and Business Policy Giada Di Stefano shows that to stop and think is not a waste of time, and would help us to be 23% more productive.
Imagine what you could do…with increased confidence and productivity. Over the years, this practice has helped me grow my business and keep a healthy perspective with forward movement even when my day feels a bit bumpy.
If you decide to try this powerful practice, let me know what shifts for you.
If you would like to talk more about creating a reflection practice for yourself or in your place of work, click here to sign up for a complimentary discovery session with me today.