Learning to Reflect is an one of the smartest things you can do!

“We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” -John Dewey, American philosopher, psychologist and educator.

For some, taking the time to slow down at the end of the day and reflect comes very easily. For others it can be an arduous task that requires incredible effort and discipline. For both people, thought, the need for reflection still exist. No matter if we struggle to reflect or it comes naturally to us we need to do it.

When reflection is done with forethought and sincerity it can give us treasures of insight into our thinking, mindsets, prejudices, character, weaknesses, strengths and more. When we reflect we are telling ourselves that what we do everyday is not rote, meaningless and basic but it is inspiring, intriguing, rich and maybe even provocative. We are giving ourselves the gift of honor. We are honoring what we do and how we do it by taking the time to assess and deliberately seek to harvest the seeds within our work and to store them for planting at another time.

If we are looking to be an asset to our world we must reflect on our impact and glean for tomorrow.

Below is a list of questions that I use at the end of the day These questions are ones that Dr. John Maxwell lays out in his book How Successful People Think. Look a little further down for the printable version of these question.

Personal Growth

What have I learned today that will help me grow?

How can I apply this to my life?

When should I apply it?

Leadership

Did I lead by example today>

Did I lift my teammates and organization today?

If so, what did I do and how did I do it?

Faith and Family

Did I represent God well today?

Did I live/think as a Kingdom Citizen today?

Did I communicated love to  my family today?

How did I show it?

Did they feel it?

Did they return it?

Adding Value

To whom did I add value today?

How do I know that I added value?

Can I follow up with this person and compound what has been added?

Inner Circle

Have I spent enough time with my key players?

What can I do to help them be more successful?

In what areas can I mentor them?

Discoveries

What did I encounter today to which I need to give more thinking time?

Are there lessons to be learned?

Are there things to be done?

Here is the printable: Reflection Questions