Why Self-Reflect?

Image Courtesy: Ameen Fahmy, Unsplash.com

“Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

Carl Jung

Craig Alexander is a five-time Ironman World Champion. After each race, he and his team would reflect to understand what went well and what could be improved for next time. They picked apart every tiny detail, from the shape of his helmet, to when he took a salt tablet, to his emotional state throughout the race. In practice, he did the same. The time he took to stop and reflect on all the details of his performances shaved seconds off his racing time, which was often the difference between victory – or loss.

Nicknamed “The Silent Assassin” and “Iceman”, Roger Federer never let his emotions get the better of him. His perfect game and stoicism turned him into not just a champion but also an enigma of mythical proportions. But he is human after all and revealed his fallibility. Since he is an extremely private person, one can only go by his performance on court to analyze the changes he brought about in his game as well as his persona. We see him enjoying his time on court, expressing himself with pump fists and a wider smile. It’s refreshing for fans and opponents to see Federer, the man not the enigma. I can only guess that he has shifted his focus from chasing to acknowledging his legendary achievements and life. This wouldn’t have been possible without taking a step back to reassess his position and adjust his “game plan” on and off the court.

Now you might be thinking, of course they did! That’s their job! But, what if after every race/game they just kept moving? What if they never stopped to think about what they could do differently? And that is what many of us do with the very thing that’s most important – our lives.

So what happens when we don’t reflect?

Tracy Kennedy, a personal development expert's thought resonates with me when she says, “We keep moving. We push through. We don’t stop to reflect. We stay in jobs that are literally killing us, relationships that zap our energy, circumstances that leave us stressed, unhappy, frustrated and tired. We keep running on the treadmill of life thinking we don’t have time to waste. So we keep moving in order to keep up. But too often, we just crash and burn.”

We continue on through life mindlessly and wonder why we don’t get a different outcome. When a project or something doesn’t go well, what do you do? You take a moment to step back and see what went wrong and what you could do differently next time? The same should be done with life, yet we don’t. Why?

It could be many reasons. But in my experience, it’s just too hard because you don’t know where to start or what to consider. But when we do self-reflect, it is hugely beneficial.

Taking time for self-reflection about life leads to a greater self-awareness, which in turn leads to self-improvement. Ever hear the saying “Can’t see the forest for the trees?” This highlights someone who is so involved in the details of a situation that they have lost the ability to see the whole picture. Self-reflection allows you to zoom out and see the whole forest.

Self-reflection allows you to understand and see things from a different point of view. Sometimes all we need is to change the story we have been telling ourselves for the longest time.

The common adage “sleep on it” is a good way to address something that is bothering you. The time you take to mull over something, allows you to respond, not react. This forced time of self-reflection allows you to take stock of feelings and emotions after which you can approach a situation with a level head.

Self-reflection facilitates a deeper level of learning. The time taken to digest, retain and recall important stuff proves to make markers or abstract connections. I am good at remembering important dates and directions. I discovered early on that I am good at employing associations to retain and recall. And it has proved to be an invaluable tool to improve my ability to remember important stuff.

Self-reflection helps build confidence, because when you reflect, you gain better understanding of what’s working and what’s not. This in turn helps you make better decisions and changes.

Self-reflection allows you to challenge beliefs and assumptions that are getting in your way.

So now that you are convinced about the importance of self-reflection, you can trust your own wisdom to find the necessary tools that work for you or wait for my next post to give you the kick-start you need to develop this habit.