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For years I have been writing a reflection report after every coaching session, every presentation, every workshop, every assessment, or meeting with colleagues.
Reflecting helps me organize my thoughts, understand, and let go. There are many benefits of reflection, and you can read about them in this blog.
In a basic reflection report, I write down what happened in a situation, what went well, what didn’t, and what I will do differently next time.
An even better form is core reflection, where you look back at what you did, what you thought, what you felt, and what you wanted. With core reflection, you also look at which character strengths you used or wanted to use and what ultimately happened.
Help! I am behind in reflecting
Right now, I’m very behind in writing my reflection reports. It became painfully clear when a few men approached me at the end of a workshop last week. I was their trainer at a workshop a few months earlier. They told me about when a woman walked into the room and asked if it could all be quieter (my workshops can sometimes be very noisy). I had completely forgotten about that, and the images of the woman in a black apron entering the room came up again. I felt frustrated that I had forgotten that incident and wished I could remember my experiences better.
How to reflect faster
In addition to my dream and reflection diary, I have a new little book. Every day I write down what I have learned. It doesn’t have to be pages but can be a short note written down within 1 minute.
Examples of short reflections
“Today, I learned that you should not ask people in a large group to switch places. This takes too long; it becomes chaotic, and you lose focus and energy.”
“Quinn’s model provides insight into which type of leader is best suited to different organizations.”
Looking back at the moment the lady entered the room asking if it could be quieter, I learned the following:
“You can also have very powerful experiences in silence.”
More wisdom through short reflections
As you can see, the lessons are simple, short, and maybe obvious. The advantage of writing down what you have learned is that you consciously become wiser, that you do not repeat mistakes, and that you can also make better decisions.
I know very wise children and less wise older people. Wisdom does not only come from studying, training or education. Most of your wisdom comes from experience. It is up to you to become wiser from your experiences and start writing down what you have learned in a day.
The next step is to occasionally read what you have learned, tell (or write) about it, and apply it. I am convinced that it helps you gain more self-confidence, overview, peace, happiness, and maybe love. And of course, it helps you to remember experiences better!
Lessons to live your WHY better
I am also convinced that your lessons will help you live your WHY better.
-> Readingtip: How to find your WHY
Through your lessons, you know what you can and cannot do better to contribute to the world with a positive effect. That gives a lot of energy and flow to the things you do or have to do.
Discover your WHY
Do you also want to discover your WHY, your life goal, and your unique purpose? I can help you with that. Your WHY is unique, positive, action-oriented, and generative. Contact me today to find out how I can help you.
How do you reflect? How does reflecting help you? Let me know in the comment field below. The other readers of this article. and I are looking forward to reading from you!
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