Unlock your Career Growth Through Reflection
When was the last time you took a moment to reflect on your achievements, considered alternative strategies, analysed your thoughts and actions at a particular time, or identified areas for improving your thinking, motivation, or sense of purpose?
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
— Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Practicing self-reflection is a powerful method for personal development. It involves the deliberate process of considering / evaluating your thoughts, behaviors, and experiences, either during the action (reflection in action) or afterwards (reflection on action). This practice enables you to gain insights into your emotions, values, and motivations, and to identify patterns, strengths, and weaknesses.
The reluctance many individuals feel towards self-reflection may arise from concerns that their inner critic might dominate, potentially leading to feelings of shame, criticism, and diminished self-confidence. It can be easier to distract yourself, focus on external factors, and avoid reflection due to the discomfort it might cause.
However, if you DO IT and cultivate a practice of self reflection, you can start transforming any experience into a positive learning opportunity, become more self-aware and emotionally intelligent, and achieve a clearer sense of purpose and better plans. Sound worthwhile? Daniel Goleman, who wrote on Emotional Intelligence, asserts that understanding one's emotions through reflection improves personal and professional relationships, emotional regulation, empathy, leadership, and more.
"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." — Aristotle
How can you reflect effectively then?
Firstly, approach your self-reflection with kindness, recognising opportunities to learn even from big setbacks or situations when you maybe feel you have failed. Harsh self-judgment can be counterproductive. Avoid overanalyzing, and shift to a mindfulness activity when reflection becomes too negative. Focus on accepting what has been and the practical steps you can take in the future to achieve your goals. My tips for a good reflective practice are:
Allocate and prioritise time for reflection.
Ask yourself questions about your day, week, presentation, date, or any other event. Consider… what went well? what was challenging? What could you do differently? What actions do you want to take in light of this? At Swinburne University they teach students the what (description), so what (knowledge building) and now what (action oriented) model by Rolfe et al., 2001.
Maintain detailed notes in a journal/app/computer/phone, tracking your progress and holding yourself accountable.
Seek feedback regularly to incorporate different perspectives.
Practice mindfulness and self-compassion, especially when experiencing negative emotions, and seek professional help if the emotions overwhelm you.
PRACTICE, practice, practice – commit to this way of learning and growing.
Reflection is a crucial component of learning that can transform your personal and professional growth. By looking inward, you unlock your potential and pave the way for meaningful learning and growth. Having a coach can also support your reflection and hold you accountable to your growth. If this is of interest please book a time for a free chat with me and we can discuss! :)