The Power of Self-Reflection
How much do you want to grow this year???
Make self-reflection a daily habit…
What Is Self-Reflection?
It is when you put on your own brakes to slow down and think about your own thoughts, actions, and experiences in full context.
Why Is It Important?
If you are wanting to do any of the following, self-reflection is a disciplined process that will help you achieve them.
-Learn and grow oneself
-Build self-awareness,
-Gain clarity on goals or next steps
-Gain a better understanding of one’s values and ambitions
-Improve in your leadership
-Improve your emotional intelligence
-Improve your relationships
There are lessons that can be learned in every area of our life. Looking at our successes is just as important as looking at our losses. If we just take the time to look deeper, you'll be surprised at the number of gems that show up.
How Do We Do This?
1. Have the Right Mindset
If you have the mindset of being a lifelong learner who continuously strives to do better each day, then you are on the right track. If you have the mindset that who you are now is not going to ever change or that you believe you can’t improve yourself, I can tell you right now, it will be difficult to go through the self-reflection process because subconsciously you have created a barrier for yourself already.
2. Be Disciplined
Look at your calendar and block out a time that works for you so you can do this on a daily basis. You also want to make sure that it’s a time that does not have any distractions or noise.
It may take you some time to get used to the routine so give yourself plenty of grace when you first begin this. Maybe starting out just once a week and then slowly add more days.
Do what works in your schedule. What’s important is that you give yourself a block of time that you can commit to. It can just be 15-20 min. Add more time if you need to.
3. Find your Writing Space and Materials
Do you have a space that brings calm and peace to your soul?
Do you have a writing tool that you love and enjoy using?
Do you enjoy writing in a journal or typing on a computer?
If you enjoy writing in a journal but don’t have one yet, check out our first line of journals on Amazon. All profits will go towards Embrace Her Journey mission which focuses on equipping and empowering tween and teen girls.
Red EHJ - Explore, Equip, Empower
Orange EHJ - Explore, Equip, Empower
Our first line of journals LIVE on Amazon. Only $6.88
Again, do what works best for you.
4. Find your Flow
You are probably asking, “How do you start the self-reflection process?”
Every one has their own way of doing this. Below are just some examples to help guide you in your self-reflection. The most important thing is you are choosing something to reflect on that can help you move forward or improve yourself in life.
Come up with a set of questions
For example,…What am I grateful for today? What are the 3 lessons I learned today in my business or life? If you could do things differently, what would you have done and why
Come up with a theme
You can come up with a weekly or monthly theme. For example, one week, you can focus your self-reflection more on how you are leading your family. Another week, you can focus more on your personal or leadership goals.
Pick a highlight or low point during the day
Describe the highlight and what worked for you so you can do more of it. Or describe your low point and what you have learned about yourself.
There are many different ways to do this. The best thing to do is to just relax and allow the process to flow.
4. Be Honest and Transparent
This is so critical. The point of self-reflection is to be able to dig deeper into our thoughts, actions, and experiences so we can increase our self-awareness and gain clarity on what changes we need to make to improve ourselves. Without self-awareness, you’re not going to be able to identify the areas that need to be changed or improved in your life.
Don’t hold back on your thoughts and feelings. Be as descriptive as you can in your self-reflection because it will help “zoom in” as you evaluate yourself.
5. Learn and Apply
Remember this is not just something you just check off from your To-do list. You are using this process to help you learn about your own gaps so you can make the necessary adjustments to improve yourself personally and professionally. Self-reflection is a process that leads to knowledge and most importantly, application. Taking the right action or steps to improve yourself is the outcome you want to achieve.
The investment you make in this process will no doubt give you the return that will inevitably impact your life and those around you.
So don’t let another day go by… Grab your favorite journal and pen, and start reflecting!
Send us a message or email Julie Tang and let us know how you’re doing on this self-reflection process. Feel free to share with others and tag us @embraceherjourney on your self-reflection process!