It’s that time of year. Out with the old and in with the new. It is a time for new dreams and new goals or just simply doing a reset and starting over. Like most people, I used to start the new year with a resolution. A statement about something I wanted to change: you know the kind – eating healthier, exercising more, getting a different job. Like many others, I slowly stopped chasing whatever I was so committed to on New Year’s Day. After a month or two, it was just a thought of the past. Why? They were random choices. Without knowing what I was trying to accomplish, these activities were a roadmap to nowhere. You see, I focused on the wrong things. It’s not about the what or how. It’s about the why!
Last year, I developed a new strategy – no more random resolutions. Reflection is the tool to keep me moving in my chosen direction.
Reflection. Oxford Dictionary defines it as serious thought or consideration. Socrates had a famous statement, “Know thyself”. It was interpreted to mean we must understand and reflect on the knowledge we learn through life and others.
Regardless of your current chapter in life, taking a step back and assessing your journey is like having a personal GPS for success. You wouldn’t drive cross-country without checking the map. I’m not suggesting we dwell on mistakes or pat ourselves on the back for victories. It’s about looking at the bigger picture, understanding our past, and learning from it – as leaders and humans. Think about the conversation that went differently than you had hoped. We’ve all been there. Reflecting on it might reveal wisdom that will help you improve the next one.
We’re living in the age of constant hustle. From dawn to dusk, it’s a sprint – deadlines, meetings, errands, you name it. And in this whirlwind, reflection often gets overlooked. But here’s the thing: taking a moment to reflect is like giving yourself a mental spa day. It’s not about reminiscing on the past; it’s about understanding where you stand now and plotting the course for where you want to go. Reflection isn’t a luxury; it’s your secret weapon for growth!
We work for the majority of our adult life. Yet, most of us let our careers bump around until the next thing comes along. Why? Change is hard, and comfort is easy. I love John C Maxwell’s phrase, “You can’t drift your way to success; you have to swim your way there.” But how often do we stop to reflect on what direction we are swimming? Ask yourself, are you thriving or just surviving in your career? An August 2023 Gallup poll showed that only 33% of US employees are engaged at work, and 16% are actively disengaged. Doesn’t that show us that most people are just surviving? This number could be higher if more people stopped to reflect and be in places and spaces that match their values, wants, and goals.
Reflection is the ticket to understanding our career choices, identifying what lights our professional fire, and pointing us in the direction to swim!
Life is about relationships, passion projects, and activities that fill your cup with renewed energy and fulfillment. Personal reflection is about understanding your values, goals, and the life you want to live. Think about the clubs or projects you committed to in the past year. Did you do it because it was important to you, or was it just too uncomfortable to say no? Reflection can help us set much-needed boundaries for our time and energy. Self-reflection also lends serious thought to our character, actions, and motives. Have we stayed true to our values or abandoned them for a lesser purpose?
Stress and discontent are often the result of the disconnect between our actions and core values. I challenge you to start the new year by writing down your values. Keep them posted somewhere you can see them regularly. Use them as the filter in which you make deliberate choices on how to spend your time in the new year.
High-quality reflection results in learning. Every project, every conversation, every triumph or stumble is a lesson waiting to be unearthed. Take a moment to analyze what worked, what didn’t, and why. It’s the difference between mindlessly running on a treadmill and intentionally sculpting your path.
The first step is to incorporate reflection into our daily routine. It can be as simple as a five-minute pause before diving into your inbox or a quiet moment on an evening walk. I like to think about it as a quick check-in with myself amidst the chaos. In the new year, I’m committed to journaling my daily reflections to help me recognize changes in my choices over time. When we write our thoughts down, they take on new meaning. Rather than a fleeting moment, they become a stake in the ground.
I recently had an insightful conversation with a retired work colleague. We talked about the importance of being open to the messages around us, that which we often only see or hear in the stillness of reflection. It is this stillness that helps us see the possible or purpose we might have run right past in the chaos. We need to allow ourselves the grace and space to put on the brakes for just a moment and make sure we are still headed in the direction we intended, or to plan necessary course corrections. It’s not about adding another task to our to-do list; reflection is about slowing down to speed up in the right direction – gifting ourselves clarity to live with intention.
Our life’s journey is unique, with our own quirks and aspirations. We cannot predict the future, and no one can tell us the right path to follow. Use reflection as your compass to navigate the unpredictable and often uncomfortable growth journey. Here’s to pausing, pondering, and power moves in the year ahead. We’ve got this!
“It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgement.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero (Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar and philosopher)
Hallway Consulting Group 
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