{"id":15283,"date":"2017-07-24T13:33:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T17:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=15283"},"modified":"2017-07-24T14:25:15","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T18:25:15","slug":"monday-morning-moment-the-power-of-reflection-and-journaling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=15283","title":{"rendered":"Monday Morning Moment – the Power of Reflection and Journaling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: JimileeK, Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

My mom was an intuitively reflective person. All of life was full of meaning for her. People mattered – what they said, what they did…what they didn’t say or do. She noticed how things played out, and she made decisions based on outcomes. Her decision-making was tempered by her faith and her understanding of the constancy of God. She was intentional in all she did.\"\"<\/a>[a magnet always on Mom’s refrigerator]<\/p>\n

She wasn’t perfect, of course. Reflection can spiral down to worry or fretting, and Mom struggled with that. Reflection can also err in over-thinking or over-analyzing. Mom could fall into “meddling”, giving instructions, or offering advice not asked for, but this was a most rare occasion. Even when she did it, I knew and appreciated her heart. She was right on the mark much of the time.<\/p>\n

My whole life I have strived to learn from her and to be like her.<\/p>\n

Reflection as a life habit is difficult for me. I like to fill time…even if it’s only with purposeless activity. Screens are my nemesis, be they computer, phone, or TV.<\/strong> Also over-committing or over-scheduling also hamper reflection. There seems a perverse and mythical work ethic that requires our days be full of meetings. If we don’t have our weekends similarly filled, we vigorously look for ways to fill them.<\/p>\n

To our peril.<\/p>\n

Reflection is to look back – over our day, or an event, or a conversation – and to pause and think deeply about it.<\/strong> What did we learn? How do we adapt our thinking and actions related to what we experienced? How do we go forward?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Loppear, Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

We can have reflective practices in our work and personal lives, even built into our days. These include alone thinking time, “sharing thoughts” conversations, and journaling\/writing. My husband comes home from work and, in good weather, changes clothes and heads to work in his garden. After awhile, he settles into a lawn chair and just sits, watching and thinking. At some point in those moments, reflection blossoms.<\/p>\n

[I benefit because he shares those reflections with me…and others later sometimes.]<\/p>\n

Benjamin P. Hardy<\/a>, my favorite writer on productivity right now,\u00a0 doesn’t talk about reflection so much, but he preaches it without saying the word. He recommends the deep work <\/em><\/a>that happens outside of work. He also strongly promotes journaling<\/a> as a “keystone habit”. In his article Why Keeping a Daily Journal Could Change Your Life<\/em><\/a>, he is so thorough in his support of journaling that I can’t imagine anyone NOT journaling after hearing him list out the many life benefits.<\/p>\n

I have journaled all my life, but it hasn’t always been as focused as it could be. My journals have sometimes just been reporting tools, emotion-processing devices, rant writing, and the like.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However, like my Mom, I discovered that writing is a way to bring reason to my irrationality and resolution to conflict. After writing awhile, I can come back to life, refreshed and better equipped to do what’s next…whatever that might be.<\/p>\n

Forbes writer and executive coach, Henna Inam<\/a> (author of Wired for Authenticity<\/em><\/a>) counsels leaders to keep a journal.<\/p>\n

The exercise of leadership is not unlike a sport you play. When you review your actions in the field you learn what worked, what didn\u2019t, and adjust along the way. Leadership guru Peter Drucker said: \u201c Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.<\/span>\u00a0\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Slideshare<\/a><\/p>\n

Inam provides a kickstart to journaling with these questions and writing prompts:<\/p>\n