The Power of Self Reflection
An average user reaches out for his cellphone 80 times a day [1]. We are facing a deluge of information and cognitive overload from all phases of human life. Even with a human brain using 100 billion nerves to constantly communicate in trillions of Synapses [2], we are still finding ourselves constantly overloading our brain. While social media is a great place for us to build our weak connections [3] and know more about our friends and family, we are finding it more and more difficult to be in a zone where we can reflect on our day or start our day in a transcendent state. This is where the power of self-reflection emerges. Traditionally yoga and meditation act as pillars of everyday routine for ancient monks in eastern culture, whose importance we are discovering only in recent times.
Steve Jobs famously evaluated himself everyday by this question, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”. It is extremely important to ask this question inside our mind, especially when our livelihood depends on the very work we do. All of this leads us to the fundamental question, self-reflection of our lives. Here are some ways we could be doing that and how that will help us in our everyday lives:
- Start the morning with self reflection:
Morning is the best time for meditation since the entire world is in the zone of cognitive silence and we are well rested from a good night sleep. Focusing our senses to help us prepare for the day through meditation is ideal starting point. This is the time to completely be blank in our minds and hearts. Not only would we be able to focus better on our day because of this activity, we can also equip ourselves much better through a more relaxed state of mind.
- Reflect your day:
People such as Benjamin Franklin, Theodore Roosevelt were famous for their self-reflection pretty much every day. This not only increased their efficiency, but also gave them knowledge of where they could improve. Most of us have very hectic work schedule that forces us to work seamlessly and constantly from 8 am to 5 pm and beyond. The best way to think about our day is through simple notes on how the day went, at the end of the day. This not only forces us to write things where we felt things didn’t go well, but also provides an opportunity to note things that went well. At that point it is important to think about the day ahead and how we want to plan key components of the day.
Through our own reflections, we can create a work place and society that not only builds value but also keeps us engaged. By harnessing the power of self-reflection we can build ourselves into better humans and above all provide a meaningful and engaging work place and society.
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-smartphones-hijack-our-minds-1507307811
- https://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-brain#3
- https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/power-staying-dis-connected-binu-oommen/