Personal reflection or self-reflection is a wonderful resource that is available to everyone. It can support you in all aspects of life, from working toward personal and professional goals to making important life and work decisions. Many use personal reflection without even thinking about it, running through past experiences to see what worked and what didn’t, reconsidering the circumstances, along with thoughts and feelings, from a fresh perspective.
When reflecting, it is helpful to explore your life from a place of curiosity rather than criticism, being gentle with yourself. Everyone makes mistakes and there will always be times when things don’t go as planned. The way to benefit most from experiences – good and bad – is to consider what happened and use the lessons learned as a motivation for change. By looking at experiences from an objective viewpoint, it’s possible to gain new insight and clarity.
When you look inward you can also increase self-awareness, helping you to understand yourself and your preferences better. We are all learning, growing, and evolving with every day that passes. If you begin to view your experiences as opportunities to discover who you are, you can start to view your life from a place of discovery.
Personal reflection can also help to promote gratitude because it encourages you to value every moment. You are also better able to notice things that are no longer working. By reflecting on the situation, you will hopefully gain a deeper insight into what happened and be in a better place to make the changes you’d like to see happen.
Remember it’s always best to approach personal reflection with compassion, exploring what happened with an open and curious mind. Everyone is a work in progress and the mistakes you make are there to help you grow.
Source: Breathemagazine.com, “Fresh perspective” – January 2021
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