I used to be the person who always focused on the end result. I would never take the time to think about how far I’ve come or what I’d accomplished. It was always: what’s next? Nowadays, I still keep my eyes on the end vision, but I also take the time to reflect on how things have been going. This reflection allows me to make adjustments with myself, my actions and my surroundings to help me get to my end result.
If you were like old me and skipped the reflection, I challenge you to do things differently! Reflection can bring so many good things to light about your progress and about yourself. Keep reading for 5 ways reflection sets you up to succeed…in all areas of life!
5 Ways Reflection Sets You Up to Succeed
#1 You can assess what’s working and what’s not working
Taking the time to reflect on things gives you a clearer perspective. What have you been doing that produces results? What have you been doing that drains you? What’s working? What’s not working? Not only isn’t it important to answer these questions as you work towards different goals, but it’s also incredibly important to know where you should or shouldn’t spend your time.
Once you know what’s working, you can do more of those things. Once you know what’s not working, you can stop those things and do more of what is working! Your time is valuable and reflecting helps you determine how to spend it wisely.
#2 You can decide if you need to adjust your goals or your actions
Some people are big dreamers – and there’s nothing wrong with it. However, we don’t want to be dreaming our entire lives. We want to be living! Reflection can help you decide if your goals are truly things you want. It can also help you determine if your actions are in line with achieving those goals.
Throwing all of the amazing wishes out there may take away from focusing on the handful of things you actually want to achieve. Take some time to reflect on your wishes and determine if they’re worth working towards.
#3 You can determine if the goal is still in line with your values and desires
Have you noticed that the things that were important to you 10 years ago are no longer important now? That’s because we grow over time. We outgrow things. We establish our core values and beliefs. We recognize what’s important and what isn’t. It’s a normal part of life. Reflection brings you up to speed with your current values and desires.
The “life goal” you had right out of college may no longer be right for the woman you are today. Are you holding on to goals that are no longer in line with your values? Reflection will help you answer that question and start thinking about goals that matter to the person you are today.
#4 You can learn new things about yourself
One thing I’ve known about myself is that I have trust issues. I’ve learned to work through those issues with time and practice. There was a time a few years back where my boyfriend was on a boy’s trip for work and they went out late. He wasn’t responding for a few hours, which wasn’t normal, and as I felt the anxiety rise in me, I took a second to reflect.
Were my trust issues creeping in? No, I didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. What was the problem then? I realized that I also have abandonment issues – being left behind, willingly or unwillingly. I never thought I had issues with that, until it dawned on me that my dad’s passing triggered a fear of losing others I love. Had I not taken the time to ask myself what was really wrong and reflect on the answer, I would have never known this issue was a thing.
Reflection can provide so much insight into why we do and feel certain things. We can learn things about ourselves we never knew!
#5 You can identify strengths and weaknesses for future goals
Lastly, reflection sets you up to succeed by allowing you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing this information can help you move forward accordingly when working towards your goals. You can stay in your lane with your strengths and you can delegate or seek help for your weaknesses.
It’s important to know this information about yourself so that you can create a life in line with what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. If you’re not good at something that truly interests you, you can take classes or learn how to improve. If you’re not good at something you have no interest in, you can leave that thing behind.
Related: 7 Questions to Ask to Determine What You Want Out of Life
Was reflection just an afterthought for you? If so, I hope I’ve given you some good reasons to give reflecting a try! Even if it’s just insight into how you can do things better, it’ll be worth the time it takes you to sit down and reflect on things. What are some ways you incorporate reflection into your routine? What benefits have you received from it? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so drop a comment below to share!
