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We’re at the beginning of a new year which seems to inspire people to think of change. Its true reflection can be done at any time and change can start whenever.
But let’s take advantage of the freshness of this year and set ourselves up for a strong new year filled with success and happiness!
Let’s learn how to reflect well and how it might benefit us.
It may be hard to reflect
Do you find it difficult to reflect? Can’t find the time to think about what’s happened in your life?
Why do we avoid reflecting? It’s just a matter of finding some time to sit and think about what’s happened and how you feel about it.
However, there are a variety of reasons why we may not want to reflect.
We may not think it’s necessary or important and therefore don’t make the little bit of time it takes to do it.
We may be ashamed of the way we acted or how some experiences turned out. This would make us avoid wanting to look into the past.
But if there’s something still haunting you and it hasn’t gone away through avoidance, facing it and forgiving yourself may be the next step to letting it go.
Reflecting may seem arbitrary or boring. Meditation has been touted for its mindful benefits for a while now, and yet, some people still can’t get on board. Me being one of them.
It’s easy to set goals and move forward and never look back. We like to take action in our lives and see that as a form of control. Reflection, therefore, doesn’t seem to contribute to action and it’s natural to think that it won’t help.
However, according to a study by Harvard Business School, those that we’re learning a new task who reflected afterward showed subsequent increased performance.
How to reflect well
According to the University of Edinburgh, there are three keys to reflecting well:
- Being open to learning from your past experiences
- Reflecting often and each cycle of reflection learning and building value
- Regularly reflecting to learn patterns and to include all experiences
If you’re interested, they have a whole toolkit on reflection that you might find helpful.
Reflecting often means getting into the habit of having an experience and then reflecting on it and finally taking action, if necessary, for the future. Reflection doesn’t have to be immediately after the experience. It can be later in the evening before you go to bed or it could be at the end of each work/school week.
You don’t have to be in a special place to reflect but a quiet, comfortable place with little to no distractions is the best.
If you have an Apple Watch, it even has a built-in Mindfulness app where you can choose to “reflect” for 1 minute. It will give you a prompt to think about something like “Notice each emotion that comes up but don’t do anything about it.”
You can set up the app to prompt you to reflect however often you want. For example, once a day, three times a week, etc.
Apple Watch SE (GPS, 40mm) – Space Gray Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport BandCreating a schedule will be your best way to may sure you reflect throughout the year. It doesn’t have to be created with technology. It can simply be written down on a paper calendar. For example, you can set up a reminder that once a month, you check in with yourself and reflect.
You may feel inclined to skip your reflection if you feel you don’t have time to spare. In that case, you need to work on making the time. A schedule will help you plan out that time and then it’s up to you to hold yourself to it.
Reflection gives us insight into our lives
Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.
John C. Maxwell
Reflection in itself is about looking into the past. Taking a moment to think about the past can teach you what you like or what made you feel good and, alternatively, what you didn’t like or what made you feel bad.
We naturally reflect when we think about our past experiences. Thinking about what we liked and didn’t like helps us learn about ourselves.
If we extend out beyond just our recent experiences, we can reflect on an even great timeline of our life and potentially see patterns. Some of these patterns may be destructive and could be holding us back from happiness.
For example, we might be dating partners who are detrimental to our lives or we might be procrastinating which can cause undue stress on ourselves.
We can’t see the patterns in our life if we don’t take a step back and reflect on them.
Create your resolutions based on your reflections
In order to set goals, you need to know what you want and be aware of what you would like to change. After gaining insight into what you like and want through reflection, the next step is to set your objectives.
Reflection can give you more purposeful progress and focus. If you create a goal that is common for other people, you may not succeed because it’s not the right fit for you or your life.
Knowing what has happened in the past can even help you better achieve a goal that you previously set out to accomplish but failed. You can reflect on what went wrong, when it went wrong, and try to set yourself up to recognize the pitfalls that allowed you to fail before.
Reflect more often
Reflection isn’t the kind of tool that works when you do it once. It also takes practice to learn how to properly reflect. Therefore, reflecting often and learning and adapting your reflection process is important.
Reflecting more frequently, reflecting even on a daily basis, can be very beneficial for your growth as a person.
Being consistent with your reflections can help keep you on the path to your goals better. It’s very common to keep our heads down and just keep going and going. When we finally do look up, we can be surprised at how off-track we are.
If you find this to be the case, get a journal so you can jot down some of your reflections or limit the amount of time. Doing a little bit more often is better than a lot of reflection just once.
Piccadilly 3000 Questions About Me Journal | Self-Reflection & Personal Growth Book | Expand Your Mind | 206 pagesReflect a new, better you this year
Anytime is a good time to start but let’s start off this year bright. Carve out some time – say fifteen minutes – and reflect on how last year went. Then, write down your goals and keep them somewhere secure.
Throughout the year, you’re going to want to check back on your goals so it’s good to keep them somewhere you will remember.
Set up a schedule for reflections. It can be however frequent you want. Daily is ideal, but weekly and monthly work too. The more often you check-in, the shorter the reflection time will most likely be.
Reflecting will not only give you insight into yourself, it can then help you shape the life you want; it can also cultivate creativity and efficiency. Your life, your decisions, your experiences are unique to you.
This is your story. Don’t throw it away by closing your eyes. Reflection is a form of appreciation. You deserve to get to know yourself and be inspired by your life story.
I hope you discover something amazing. Even the small reflection is a great one. And it can help you create the happier life you desire.
Live happier,
Nicole
You can learn more about me here!
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