REFLECTION
Learning lives in the debrief. (Heather Yelland - The Elevation Company)
HIYA Reader,
Imagine you are heading out for a month’s sailing trip. You know the direction you need to go and have a good idea of the route. Map is clear. You begin by weaving through the islands close to shore. The sailing is smooth. You arrive in the open ocean ... dolphins swim alongside the boat! You bask in the sun and enjoy the challenge of guiding your boat over the waters. The days go by and you continue sailing over the bright sea. The sunrise on the open waters is golden orange and yellow. A storm comes and goes. You fish for your food. The sky is blue and clear. You make a stop on an island, the locals are very welcoming. Midway through the evening, you realise that this island is not the one that you had assumed. Back on your boat, you double check your map … nowhere near where you thought you were.
WHAT IS REFLECTION?
Reflection is a brief pause. A powerful tool we can use to locate where we are, understand where we have been and chart the course ahead.
WHY REFLECT?
I reflect in order to learn. To learn about myself, my perspective of the world, my priorities, and how I can improve.
Self-Awareness: a reflective pause allows me to understand why I react the way I do; the patterning of my thoughts and the emotional awareness in a certain situation. It gives me an opportunity to ask hard questions of myself - to explore my inner weavings.
Understanding: reflections help me work through my perspective of the world. It gives me the space to uncover my opinion and be authentic in myself.
Direction: reflecting gives me the time to clarify the chaos of life; sorting through my present situation so that I can chart a purposeful path forward. It allows me to prioritize - to actively decide where I want to spend my energy!
Improvement: I want to get better. Reflecting on my mistakes and successes give me the insight I need to adjust my sails, tweak my performance and take those steps forward.
HOW-TO REFLECT?
Personally, I frame my reflections around the Learning Cycle, asking myself two key questions:
What lessons did I learn?
What do I want to do about it?
This process works for me because I set great value in learning and improving. The cycle permits me to gather key learning points from my experiences, and explore actions by which I can improve. Feel free to use this technique, however, the unique style of your reflection is up to you ...
TYPES OF REFLECTION
I reflect in a handful of different ways...
Monthly Life Reflection
At the beginning of every month, I diligently set aside a couple of hours. I grab my Think Book, settle into my chair and reflect on my relationships, goals, experiences, work, enthusiasms, etc. Using the Learning Cycle as my framework, I look back on the month just passed, discern the lessons I have learnt, and then explore ideas for the month to come. This is fundamental to my wellbeing, my goal-setting and my overall improvement journey because it clarifies my priorities.
Daily Emotion Journal
When I set out to improve my Emotional Intelligence, I carved out 10 minutes to reflect on the key emotions I had felt throughout the day. This reflection allowed me to build my emotional awareness, gain greater emotional literacy, express my emotions and prompted me to use emotions more effectively.
Conversation Check-In
This style of reflection is a habit I developed as a Treeplanting Foreman. While leading my crew, I would check in with various planters to get the pulse of my team; understand what was progressing well and what we could improve. This allowed us to steer a clearer path through the obstacles. This style is versatile and can be applied to any relationship - I encourage you to implement it!
After Key Events
Once the glow of relief has faded after I have facilitated an event or finished a project, I set out a time to reflect. Again, I dive into the Learning Cycle and ask myself; ‘What did I learn?’ & ‘What can I do better next time?’ This routine helps me build my confidence as I understand my successes and explore how I can be more effective next time.
Happy Reflecting!
Helping Young Professionals and Postgraduate Students Improve