3 Reasons Every Busy Professional Should Take Time for Reflection
The following is adapted from Start with the Give-Me Shots by Marney Andes.
People are so busy these days, they don’t take time to reflect.
I see it in my own work, and I see it in my personal life. I see it in everyone around me who is stressed out: the woman who is trying tirelessly to climb the corporate ladder, the overly stressed entrepreneur, the employee who’s stuck in a rut, the anxiety-ridden college kid.
Each of us could benefit from taking time out of our busy days to reflect on our lives. Reflection helps us in three valuable ways: it allows us to recognize where we are currently, it shows us what we need to change to be more fulfilled, and it provides a reality check to keep things in perspective.
It might seem like you don’t have time to reflect, but really, you can’t afford not to.
Reason #1: Reflection Helps You Recognize Where You are Now
You can’t navigate toward your destination if you don’t know where you are on the map. Similarly, if you never take time to reflect on your current position in life, whether it’s your personal or professional life, how can you expect to reach your goals?
Reflection is like finding your GPS coordinates. It’s a time for taking inventory of your life and reviewing your actions. Too often, those in the workforce don’t stop to consider if something they developed worked, if they liked it, or if they didn’t. Others are too busy trying to do whatever they think they need to accomplish in order to move up in their careers, plowing ahead without reflecting on whether it’s all necessary.
Some people find it’s easier to go to that next appointment, do the next meeting, put out the next report, and then rinse and repeat — all because it prevents them from sitting with their own thoughts. However, if you can force yourself to reflect honestly, you can gain the perspective you need to make positive changes.
Reason #2: Reflection Tells Us What Needs to Change
The second reason everyone, including the busiest professionals, should take time to reflect is that reflection tells us what needs to change in our lives.
If you feel unfulfilled by your career, relationships, or personal development, it won’t get better until you change something. But until you reflect on the current state of things, you won’t see what needs to change. You’ll continue down the same path getting the same results.
Reflecting doesn’t have to lead to monumental changes or major life decisions. It’s simply giving yourself time to think, and it’s one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself. Not only does reflection show you where you are on life’s map right now, but it also gets you moving in the right direction.
No matter what you’re going through, reflect on where you are and where you want to go, and you’ll figure out how to close the distance.
Reason #3: Reflection is a Reality Check
Lastly, reflection provides a much-needed reality check when we’re stuck in the hustle of day-to-day life.
It’s easy to lose perspective on your life when you never pause to reflect. You might believe that your problems are worse than they are, or alternatively, you might overlook problems that really exist.
When you reflect, you realize you contribute, achieve, and accomplish more than you think. You’re also able to identify something you may want to change. This could be making more time for something or someone, doing more or less, starting something new, or identifying something you want to eliminate.
If you feel inadequate, reflection can help you see the reality of your life and realize you do have the time, and you don’t have to do more. You can clearly see what’s happening and what you may want to change or experience differently.
Make Time for Reflection
Taking the time to just be in the moment and reflect on my day, while so simple, is not easy. I struggle with “Get to this; go to that; fix this; do that.” I feel life is going by quickly — I think we all do.
Life is always changing, and reflecting helps you adjust your decisions in future scenarios. It helps you grow, meet challenges, and make changes when they are warranted.
Staying busy and working constantly is the antithesis of what you need. In order to get ahead, you need to stop working so much and take more time to think about your life. Even when others are competing for your time — and they always will — you need to reflect on what you are doing.
No matter how busy you are, you can benefit from making space, every day, just to be. To think, without other competing activities or obligations, and reflect on you.
For more advice on succeeding in life, both personally and professionally, you can find Start with the Give-Me Shots on Amazon.
Marney Andes is a born-and-bred farm girl from Wallace, Nebraska. A consultant, educator, and entrepreneur, she has dedicated her career to supporting teams and individuals as they develop and grow. Her experience in performance consulting and leadership development spans a wide range of industries, including technology, healthcare, education, and nonprofit. A college basketball player and former Mrs. America, Marney is the founder of Project Aspire, a nonprofit created to support women in their pursuit of higher education and leadership opportunities. Marney holds a master’s in information and learning technologies from the University of Colorado Denver and currently resides outside of Denver with her husband, Allen, and her two sons, Owen and Brody.
