When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on your life? Maybe it was at the end of December when you were getting ready to welcome the new year (we all love a little end-of-the-year reflecting, right?). Other than that, there aren’t many times when we might feel compelled to spend time in self-reflection.
The truth is that many of us are so busy trying to move
forward with our lives that we rarely take a moment to slow down and be at one
with our thoughts. Plus, we often don’t recognize the importance of
self-reflection and the impact it can have on our lives.
What if we made self-reflection part of our everyday
routine instead of a yearly thing?
In my opinion, self-reflection is one of the best ways that you can shift your mindset, increase positivity in your life, and discover a greater connection to yourself.
What is self-reflection?
Self-reflection is like looking into a mirror and describing
what you see. It is a way of assessing yourself, your ways of working, and how
you study. To put it simply ‘reflection’ means to think about something.
Reflecting and composing a piece of self-reflective writing is becoming an
increasingly important element of any form of study or learning.
Why is self-reflection important?
Reflecting helps you to develop your skills and review their
effectiveness, rather than just carry on doing things as you have always done them.
It is about questioning, in a positive way, what you do and why you do it and
then deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in
the future.
In any role, whether at home or at work, reflection is an
important part of learning. You wouldn’t use a recipe a second time around if
the dish didn’t work the first time, would you? You would either adjust the
recipe or find a new and, hopefully, better one. When we learn we can become
stuck in a routine that may not be working effectively. Thinking about your own
skills can help you identify changes you might need to make.
Reflective questions to ask yourself:
- Strengths –
What are my strengths? For example, am I well organized? Do I remember
things?
- Weaknesses –
What are my weaknesses? For example, am I easily distracted? Do I need
more practice with a particular skill?
- Skills –
What skills do I have and what am I good at?
- Problems –
What problems are there at work/home that may affect me? For example,
responsibilities or distractions that may impact on study or work.
- Achievements –
What have I achieved?
- Happiness –
Are there things that I am unhappy with or disappointed about? What makes
me happy?
- Solutions –
What could I do to improve in these areas?
Although self-reflection can seem difficult at first, or
even selfish or embarrassing, as it does not come naturally. you will find it
becomes easier with practice and the end result could be a happier and more
efficient you.