Do you ever build time for reflection into your day?​

​I bet there aren’t many people who can say, hand on heart, that they do. We’re all so busy on the ‘being busy’ treadmill that we miss out on something so simple as a period of reflection.

And it’s a shame because it’s such a great concept to build into our day. Why? Because it helps us become more conscious of what we’re doing. It teaches us how to grow, lead, and embed the way we want to do things in the future.​

​Think about how quickly our experiences pile up each day, whether it’s a difficult conversation, a moment of courage or care, or even when things go wrong. If we don’t reflect on these moments we only see the hassle rather than the insight. Reflection is what transforms that raw experience into wisdom. It allows us to pause and ask ourselves questions such as:​

​❓ What did I learn?​

❓ What did I notice?​

❓ Was there a moment that challenged my assumptions?​

❓ What patterns am I noticing in my reactions and/or my decisions?​

❓ What went well?​

❓ What would have made it even better?​

❓ What surprised me today?​

❓ What did I learn about myself or others today?​

​And of course this doesn’t need to be an individual exercise. It can be built into your team meetings, project reviews, etc. ​

​One thing that I love about it, is that it can also let you know whether you’re following your values because it helps you join the dots between what you do and who you are. We start to become conscious of the small patterns of who we are as an individual, a team, or an organisation.​

​When we reflect, we refine the way we do things and that’s where our real learning appears. The experience gives us the skills, but the magic happens in the reflection.​

​Is reflection part of your daily/weekly practice? If so, please let me know the benefits it’s brought to you.​