The end of the year is typically synonymous with taking a few moments for honest self-reflection.
You look back on 2018, reflect on all of your experiences, and then move into 2019 with new goals, intentions, objectives, etc.
And then….for the next 355 days or so, the idea of reflection seems to take a back seat to your busy work schedule, demanding deadlines and the general madness that comes with living in today’s world.
But if you think about it (see what I did there :))…making self-reflection a frequent practice in your life could yield huge benefits for you.
Here’s why…
REFLECTION DRIVES ACTION. It’s really that simple.
When you take a moment to reflect on an experience, you give your brain permission to pause.
When you pause, you’re able to take a deeper look into a situation and examine the “how’s” and “what’s” of that situation.
“How was that experience for me?”
“What did I learn from that experience?”
The act of self-reflection, using the “how’s” and ‘what’s”, is what enables you to create new insights and “ah hah” moments.
And when YOU create new insights and ah hah moments from this process, YOU become far more inspired to take action, versus someone telling you what to do, or how to best move forward.
Here’s the formula:
Question > Reflection > Insight > Inspiration > Action.
What’s cool about this formula is that it can work for you AND the people you work with.
If someone is struggling with a certain situation and asks you, “What should I do?”, you have an opportunity to guide them towards their own self-reflection.
A very simple response to their question could be, “I’m not sure what’s best for you, what do you think is best?”
When you ask this type of question, you’re inviting the other person to reflect on the situation. If they resist, that’s ok, ask them another question that also encourages self-reflection.
Once they commit to the process of reflection and start to create their own insights, they inevitably feel more empowered and willing to take action.
There are many positives to be gained from this process!
In this week’s video, I talk more about the power of reflection, building strong teams, and how this plays into my theme for 2019: self-care.
I encourage you to take time to reflect this week – go to a yoga class, or for a walk, or simply close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. See how it works for you.
Breathe in reflection. Breathe out action.
