1. Set Aside Time for Reflection
Greek philosopher Socrates observed, “The
unexamined life is not worth
living.” For most people, however, reflection and self-examination doesn’t come
naturally. It can be a fairly uncomfortable activity for a variety of reasons: they
have a hard time staying focused;
they find the process dull; or they don’t like
spending a lot of time thinking about emotionally difficult issues. But if you
don’t carve out the time for it, you are unlikely to do any reflective thinking.
2. Remove Yourself from Distractions
As much
as any other kind of thinking, reflection requires solitude.
Distraction and reflection simply don’t mix. It’s not the kind of thing you can do
well near a television, in a cubicle, while the phone is ringing, or with children in
the same room.
One of the reasons I’ve been able to accomplish much and keep growing
personally is that I’ve not only set aside time to reflect, but I’ve separated myself
from distractions for short blocks of time:
thirty minutes in the spa; an hour
outside on a rock in my backyard; or a few hours in a comfortable chair in my
office. The place doesn’t matter—as long
as you remove yourself from
distractions and interruptions.
3. Regularly Review Your Calendar or Journal
Most people use their calendar as a planning tool, which it is. But few people
use it as a reflective thinking tool. What could be better, however,
for helping
you to review where you have been and what you have done—except maybe a
journal? I’m not a journaler in the regular sense; I don’t use writing to figure out
what I’m thinking and feeling. Instead, I figure out what I’m thinking and
feeling, and then I write down significant thoughts and action points. (I file the
thoughts so that I can quickly put my hands on them again.
I immediately
execute the action points or delegate them to someone else.)
Calendars and journals remind you of how you’ve spent your time, show you
whether your activities match your priorities, and help you see whether you are
making progress. They also offer you an opportunity to recall activities that you
might not have had the time to reflect on previously. Some of the most valuable
thoughts you’ve ever had may have been lost because you didn’t give yourself
the reflection time you needed.
