Reflection and Celebration
One of my favorite December songs is “Happy Xmas” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The lyrics start with
“So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun”
Every year when I hear this song, I taught myself to reflect on what “I had accomplished and whether I accomplished the most important things in terms of what I set out to do. There is not a better time for reflection then at the end of something and the beginning of the new. I know you might be thinking that there just isn’t time for reflection. However, if time is not set aside for time reflection there is a risk of moving into 2024 without a solid evaluation of what’s working and what is not. Reflection is a valuable practice that involves thoughtful consideration and contemplation about one’s experiences, actions, or beliefs. It plays a crucial role in personal and professional development, helping individuals gain insights, learn from their experiences, and make informed decisions.
Reflection is an important component of how adults learn. We learn not only from our experiences but also from the interpretations and reinterpretations of those experiences. When we pause and reflect upon circumstances and then apply a different framework to circumstances new ways of acting and thinking are created. Using the process of reflection and introspection on an on-going basis leads to increased levels of awareness, insight, and self-acceptance. Many times these moments of reflection can result in epiphanies from which new thoughts and behaviors can be chosen. Bob Rotella in “How Champions Think” adds that champions self-evaluate and reflect after setting their own standards and do not simply wait for others to provide evaluations in order to move forward into success.
What is your process for reflection and self-evaluation? If you really haven’t given it much thought in the past, a few ideas for reflection are included in this blog.
Personal Growth: Reflection provides pathways for personal growth. Dr. Richard Boyatzis shares in his intended change theory that it begins by identifying our ideal self and then comparing that self to our real self. Our ideal self contains our dreams, aspirations, and direction for these inspirations. When we let ourselves go in the direction of our dreams, amazing things can show up in our lives.
Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses: By reflecting on your experiences, you can identify both your strengths and areas where you can improve. This self-assessment is essential for setting realistic goals and working towards continuous improvement. Again from Dr. Boyatzis, this exercise is meant to be realistic about what will assist us in reaching the ideal state while removing challenges to activities that will take us there. To identify both strengths and weaknesses of a given action, Chip and Dan Heath in “Decisive” suggest that we conduct pre-parade/post-mortem. The questions we can ask ourselves or our team are “What will make us wildly successful if we pursue this path? Conversely what might cause us to fall short of the goal?” In assessing both the opportunity and challenge we surface what we need to focus on for success.
Learning from Mistakes: Reflection provides an opportunity to analyze mistakes or failures without judgment. It enables you to understand what went wrong, why it happened, and how you can avoid similar situations in the future. Many people struggle with the term “mistake” because too many use the term to beat up on themselves. Amy Edmundson shares that many times we are embarrassed by our failures which leads to us also focusing negatively on ourselves. What if we could accept that what we were attempting to accomplish didn’t happen the way we wanted it to and we adjust our sails?
Critical Thinking: Reflection encourages critical thinking by prompting you to analyze situations, consider different perspectives, and evaluate the consequences of your actions. Shane Parrish in “Clear Thinking” encourages us to reflect upon all options and not simply door number one or two. We tend to be biased when we only surface two options for moving forward. Something you can integrate into reflection for 2024.
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Congratulations to Dr. Ursula Clidiere and Carol Assalian who recently received the Certified Master Business Coach (CMBC) designation.
The first master program graduates!
Thanks so much for paving the way for others!
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