Reflection Is A Tool For Progress

Considering it’s Christmas Eve, you can relish in the fact that you won’t need to do as much reading as you usually would.

And keeping with the theme of Christmas and the end of another year, I would like to talk about reflection, because it’s the perfect time to look back over the last 12 months.

It’s a time to ask yourself:

What have I accomplished?

What could I have done better?

What would I have done differently if given the chance, and how?

We become so used to our standards that sometimes we can fail to notice the progress we’ve made.

We can also get tunnel vision when chasing goals, get hyper-focused and see everything other than the achievement of said goals as a failure. This can cause frustration and self-doubt, making us question whether we have what it takes to actually succeed.

But reflection breaks this loop.

By looking back at where we began, or how far we’ve come this year, it forces us to see our position in motion, on a trajectory, rather than something symbolising stagnation.

This reinforces our belief, reminds us of progress and adds more fuel to the fire going forward.

If you’re a type A David Goggins type, you may see reflection as nothing other than a distraction, but it’s no such thing; it’s a form of accountability. And if you are this type, you probably need to hear this more than anyone else.

Not only does looking at progress help with moving forward, but looking at your shortcomings does a similar thing. This allows you to see your mistakes along the path to ensure you don’t run into the same problems moving forward into the new year.

Merry Christmas, and remember to reflect!