Take Time to Reflect
Do you ever feel as if you do not have time to reflect on your life and the direction you are going?
I know that I feel that way at times.
There are life phases when I am caught up in lots of activity without time to reflect on my life, and those are the times that I know I need to reflect the most.
Some of our activity could be in the wrong direction which is why we need to reflect. All of us need time to reflect but taking the time to do it…well, it takes time.
Here are five ideas to help you get the most out of your reflection time, and motivate you to make the time to continue it.
1. Schedule It
If we want to reflect on our life regularly we need to schedule the time to do it. Block out time on your calendar each week, month, or quarter to reflect on what has happened and where we want to go from here.
This will help you understand whether you are on track and making progress toward the life that you desire as well as your goals.
2. Pick the Right Place
It makes a world of difference to select the right place for reflection. Find a place that inspires you yet relaxes you in order to create the right frame of mind for reflection. This could be your favorite chair or your favorite room. It could also be a special place that you like to go outside like near a river or mountain view.
You may even want to consider going somewhere off site quarterly or annually. Also, make sure you will not be interrupted.
3. Prepare
Create a check list of all the items you need for reflection time. This is especially important if you are going off site away from home. Your list could include a journal, pencil, laptop, iPad, calendar, iPod, Bible or other items that you want to use, look at and think about while reflecting.
4. Create an Action Plan
Prior to finishing your reflection time, create an action plan with goals and timelines to keep you on track for the next month or quarter. From my personal experience, I can say that I make more progress toward my goals when I have taken the time to write them down with step by step action plans and due dates.
5. Set a Regular Follow-Up Time
Create a weekly follow-up time to track progress on your goals and to schedule time on your calendar for the coming week to work on those goals. In this way, you will stay focused and make more progress with less time spent on items that do not matter to you.
Taking the time to reflect on our life helps us to make the most of the time we have been given.
What thoughts or ideas do you have for making the most of your reflection time from which others could learn?
Alternatively, you could simply take up fly fishing. Great post here, Bill. Fish on!
Thanks, Dan. I would love to take up fly fishing and love the idea of that for reflection time out on the water.
I think it’s also important that, in scheduling time to reflect, you are firm in not letting distractions get in the way – whether that’s people, other projects, etc. You also have to be careful in taking your tablet, i-Phone, etc., that you use them for reflection purposes only instead of letting them become distractions as well. Thanks, Bill!
Melissa, great suggestions! We cannot have items like an iPad or an iPhone with us that will cause distractions and cause us to not focus on reflections.
Gregory, I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading the blog post.