Upon Reflection

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked about the importance of perspective and choosing how we spend our time. Gaining perspective and making tough choices of any kind require thought, introspection, and careful consideration. We cannot choose wisely or find the wisdom from perspective if we come and go in a heated rush every minute of every day. We must carve out the time to reflect.

Thinking about something is different from doing something. Introspecting alone is different from interacting together. Considering all courses of action is different from deciding on one course of action. And yet reflection is required to make the best decisions, to choose the right course of action and to get the most out of our interactions. If we want to be leaders of impact, we must learn to reflect.?

Many people tell me they find reflection difficult. Being still - in a world that is constantly moving - seems unnatural. Being quiet - when there is noise all around us - seems abnormal. Being alone - when there are so many people tugging at us for our attention - seems self-indulgent. And sometimes, as we’re reflecting, unwelcome and unbidden thoughts can arrive.

I’m very excited to announce that my podcast episode on Training Unleash is out, in titled “How to unlock your leadership” is now released.??

Collapsing from exhaustion is not the same as reflection. Relaxing, letting our mind wander, distracting ourselves with entertainment, isn’t reflecting. Reflection can be learned but it requires discipline and practice. And as is always true whenever we’re learning to do anything new, we just have to start doing it. We have to keep doing it, even when it feels off. Eventually, we develop a new habit that becomes part of our routine.?

I learned long ago that I needed to set aside a designated time every day for reflection. For me, that time is early in the morning, before the sun rises. If I don’t do it then, it doesn’t get done.

Choose a time for daily reflection that works for you. Maybe it’s at the end of the day. Maybe you think best while walking or running. Or during your coffee break. The point is to carve out around thirty minutes of time every day where you can deliberately, actively reflect.

Next, choose the subject of your reflection that day. Is it a particularly vexing problem? A troublesome relationship? Are you dissatisfied with how you’re spending your time these days? Are you satisfied with how things you care about are progressing? Perhaps you want to review yesterday and plan your day today or tomorrow. Maybe you’ve received some feedback you need to examine. Maybe you’ve heard a new idea that requires further consideration. The point is reflection is your time to think about the most important things that are going on in your world. Don’t waste your reflection on things that don’t matter, on minor annoyances, on trivialities. Reflect on the substantive things, on the impactful things.

We like to convince ourselves that speed is always important. It’s true that good decisions are timely ones. However, bad decisions are made because people feel pressured and act rashly, without considering all the consequences or exploring all the options. So often a rush to judgment and decision turns out to be mistakes that could have been avoided, upon reflection. If I am considering a truly important matter, I never decide it in the moment - even when others are pressuring me to do so. I always wait until I can reflect on it.

For those of you who have followed this newsletter awhile, you may be puzzled at this point. I always stress the importance of collaboration in sound decision-making. It is imperative to gather many points of view around the table if an important decision is to be made. If we rely solely on our own experience and perspective, we will miss something vital. And yet, reflection is required to consider all we’ve heard and learned. Reflection is required to assess what we really think, now that we know what others think. Reflection is required to determine what questions remain unanswered and what we still do not know. Reflection is required to ensure that we didn’t discount a message because of its messenger, or that we weren’t overly influenced by someone just because of who they are.

For me, year-end is a particularly important time for reflection. Sometime before the new year arrives, I have conducted a mental inventory of the year just finished. I look over my calendar and reflect on how I spent my time. Am I satisfied with my choices? Should I choose differently in the new year? I reflect on what I’ve learned in the past year; on what has surprised me in the past year; on what has motivated me and what has disappointed me. Reflection on the year that’s ending prepares me for the year that is beginning.

Reflection is not passive. Rather, reflection is an active discipline. Ultimately, careful reflection helps us see more clearly, choose more wisely, and act more deliberately. Leaders learn to reflect in order to maximize their impact and make the most of their potential.

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I’m very excited to announce that my podcast episode on Training Unleash is out, in titled “How to unlock your leadership” is now released.?

Here a quote from the podcast.

The truth is that most companies will say platitudes like, `People Are Our Most Important Asset.’ But they don’t really act that way! The truth is people?are?the business. Companies think that a business is its products, its profits, its manufacturing. Yes . . . and people do all those things...

?Please give it a listen. Click Here