Reflection – Look back to move forward

We wondered, at the end of the year, do you spend time reflecting on the past year? It’s a perfect time to look back on what was good and what could have been better in your life. Everyone is so busy but research shows the benefits of taking time to reflect. First, it can be a reality check. We can see the whole year in review and realize what has been accomplished and what was left undone. Secondly, we can see our strengths and our weaknesses. We see the strengths we used to overcome challenges and, hopefully, we can have compassion for what we could have dealt with more successfully. Third, we learn about ourselves, our values, what’s important to us and where we want to grow. From this present moment we can envision, in an innovative way, what we want to have happen in the coming year to make it even better.

To reflect, it’s important to set aside some time by yourself and put it in your schedule so it actually happens. Reflection time doesn’t have to be just at the end of a year, doing it more often is very helpful. Benjamin Franklin scheduled time every day to reflect and he would evaluate himself in respect to a list of thirteen virtues.

When you are reflecting, recall significant events and accomplishments. Then look into the deeper meaning of the things that happened and why they are important. Look at what brought you pain and what brought you the greatest joy. Assess the challenges, what got in the way, the distractions and loss of motivation. Also, notice what strengths you used to meet the challenges and succeed.

As you look back to move forward in life, here are some questions to ask yourself. Am I clear about who I am and who I want to become? What values are important to me and am I living them? What is my purpose in life and does it align with my values? What is my big vision for my life? How do my present actions bring me closer to reaching my big vision? What challenges might I face and what
support will be helpful? What do I need to change in myself and my life to enable me to reach my goals?

Answering those questions can help you gain insight. Baltasar Gracian summed this up when he said, “Self-reflection is the school of wisdom.” We wanted to learn more so we went out to find out what some people thought about reflection.

We met CJ Oddsen who told us his thoughts about reflection on his past year. CJ shared, “I would like more time outside to enjoy the outdoors and maybe a little less time inside.” Then we asked him why reflection is important and he answered, “Most people use reflection as a time to learn and move forward”.

Then we met Ben Peterson and asked him about reflection. He said, “I think it would be nice for people to have a more positive perspective as far as fitness and their overall well-being. The more positive attitude you have towards living a more healthy life, I think it does permeate throughout all aspects of your life – not only just your health but as far as how you wake up every day feeling your positivity and your energy, is very contagious. So the better off you are, usually that reflects off other people and so your interactions just usually end up being more positive.” Then we asked Ben the advantage of reflecting. He shared, “I think reflecting is one of those very important things that everyone should be doing, not just yearly but also daily, monthly, and weekly. It’s important for us to understand where we came from and the progress we’ve made throughout our day to day life. So once you see where you’ve come, it makes the future a little brighter and more exciting because you see all the things you’ve gone through. It must mean that you are doing something right. I would say that reflecting just makes the future a lot more bright and also a lot more positive.”

We enjoyed learning what CJ and Ben thought about reflection. What about you?

Here’s a challenge: Put some time in your schedule so you will do some reflecting to help you discover how you want to be and what you want to happen in your life. As you look back to move forward, we wish for you that you live your very best life.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are Success Coaches and owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.