Questions for an Effective Reflection

By Shirley Tham, CDAS(P), CCSP, DTM

“GOAL!”

“Arrgggh! Missed!”

Which one of the above describes your end-of-year reflections?

You might have reached or missed all or some of your goals, or cannot reach a conclusive judgment as your goals might still be work-in-progress. Whichever is the case, give yourself a pat on your back for reflecting on your progress in achieving your goals.?

If you’ve not started on your reflection, it’s not too late to do so. Tap on the power of reflection in your self-development. Confucius’ quote 学而不思则罔、思而不学则殆 is often translated as,

"Learning without reflection is a waste; reflection without learning is dangerous."

If you have not won in the game of achieving your goals, you will win a valuable lesson by reflecting on what you have learned in the process. It also helps you cultivate the “how are you intelligent” mindset (refer to our CDAS article by Danny Gan on 7 November).?

So, what should we cover in our reflections?

8 Questions to Ask Yourself in Your Reflections

1. What have I achieved? Or, What steps have I taken towards my goal?
2. What goals remain unfulfilled?
3. What are the gaps I need to plug?
4. What is (potentially) stopping me from plugging these gaps??
5. What can I do to minimize the gap between my current situation and my goal?
6. Of these steps, which is the first I should take? Alternatively, consider What is the next smallest step forward?
7. What resources can I make use of?
8. Which role models could I learn from?

Remember the Confucius’ quote I shared earlier? In the context of goal reflection, the second half of the quote –? “Reflection without learning is dangerous” – brings forth the importance of correct learning. Do your conclusions from your musings reflect your situation as objectively as possible … or are they clouded, or worse misinformed, by your biases or blind spots??

How do you maximize the learning from reflection?

For questions to work their magic to the maximum for you, they have to be:

? Customised: Relevant to your needs, situation, values, interests, personality, skills and strengths

? Comprehensive: Covers an area of focus in depth so that you cover as many bases and reduce as many unknowns as possible. Be objective in assessing your progress.?

? Compelling: Must be motivating to you, according to what is uniquely YOU

Do this for a More Effective Strategy and Actions Moving Forward:?

Partner with a career coach

Let’s face it: how objective can we be in our reflection when our emotions are involved?

The value you can get from a career coach is the objectivity from a third party skilled at discussions to help you understand how you have gotten to the current situation, whether your goals are underwhelming or overwhelming for you, and assist you in strategizing your action plan to achieve what you need.?

Your coach will understand and support your quest to transform into a better you, asking the right questions at the right time, probing or pushing appropriately depending on your emotional readiness.?

Read our previous article on 22 August 2022 by Mei Ling Wong for more benefits of a career coach.

Here's to a reflective and transformational 2023 for you!

CDAS?is an association based in Singapore that aims to Promote and Professionalize Career Development and Management in Singapore.

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