I would agree that the best things in life are free – love, joy, simplicity. Some of the best ways to acquire skills can also be low or no cost. In this post and the ones that follow we’ll look at high-impact skill development options that can be had for little or no cost.
Reflection is the pause that refreshes, sharpens, focuses, and allows enough breathing space to figure a few things out. If I had to pick ONLY one thing to do to maximize my learning and my performance, this would be it. Here’s why.
Each and every day is filled to the brim with learning opportunities – if we take the time to notice and learn. A typical day in my life has things I did well, things that tanked, events that triggered an emotional response, times when my results were different than my intent. Noticing them and internalizing how I might either do more of the same (for good results) or change my approach (for the stinky ones) provides me insights that I would not have gotten had I continued to rush headlong through the day.
The process is easy; practicing it is hard. Merely take 10 to 15 minutes at the conclusion of each day to go to a quiet place (or shut your door) and then to mentally walk through your day. You may or may not take notes. I find it helpful to keep a small journal, but that is optional.
Here is a quick list of questions you can reflect on. You might pick a favorite and repeat it daily. You might rotate through them. You might come up with one of your own.
- What are you grateful for today?
- What went well? What did you do to contribute to that?
- Where did you have unintended consequences? What do you attribute that to?
- What was accomplished today?
- What is left undone?
- Where did you trip on an emotional trigger? What is the internal source?
- What surprised you today?
- If you had the opportunity, what would you do over in a different way?
- How would you rate your leadership today? Why?
No matter what reflection question you chose, always end with this one: What have I learned today and what will I do differently as a result?
