The importance of Self-Reflection: A Secret Ingredient of Success

Is Self-Reflection important?

When was the last time you had a meeting with yourself? Yes! I’m talking about your meeting with yourself. Self-reflection is the way of knowing yourself and having a meeting with yourself. No one can deny the importance of self-reflection. Self-reflection increase emotional self-awareness and integrity about values. It is just like you are looking into the mirror and describing your strengths, weaknesses, and fears.

Meaning of self-reflection is the activity of thinking about your feelings, emotions, actions, and reasons behind that particular action. This is the secret ingredient of success. Successful people are aware of importance of self-reflection. They practice self-reflection on a daily basis and get benefits from it.

More you know yourself more you will be aware of the importance of self-reflection. Self-reflection is a skill that plays an important role in personal and spiritual growth. Read the article to find ways how you can work for your self-betterment, self-improvement, and importance of self-reflection in your life.

Importance of Self Reflection

Day to day life keeps us so much busy that we forget ourselves. We are just running and running and getting exhausted. This is very detrimental for our emotional well-being. Lack of self- analysis, and self-reflection may leave us to depress and anxious.

Take a Break, slow down and think about yourself. Self-reflection art will help you to better understand;

Who you are?
What are your goals?
What you want to be?
What are the strengths you have to get there?
And what are the weaknesses to work on?
What you find most important in your life?
What are the biggest goals you want to pursue in your life?

Benefits of Self Reflection Are:

Self-awareness

It will help you to understand your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and motivational factors. As soon as you understand yourself then you will handle your situation and circumstances in a better way.

Clarity of Thoughts and Values

It is very important to clarify uncertainty and clarify your values. The minute you have a clear understanding of your values then you put them at the forefront of your mind and move on with vivid goals.

For example, you don’t like your job and your disliking for this job affecting your emotions and relationship with others. If you think about the pros and cons of this current job and any other alternatives you have or not. And you find out that it’s the wages you are doing this job, or this is the only job you have.

This analysis and self-reflection might help you continue this job with more passion. Self-reflection is an important part of evaluation that may help you to improve your performance at work.

Improved Life

It helps you to get out of the vicious cycle of just doing and producing. This continuous act of moving from one thing to the next will eventually make you stagnant or burn out.

STOP! Take time and think new ideas and move on to bring change in your current situation. Clarity of thoughts will help you to identify your core issues.

Better Sleep

Time spend for self-reflection eventually help you to analyze events of the day and it can help you to identify unresolved feelings. Think about the day, accept what has done, forgive yourself for any mistakes and identify your strengths for a new day. Turn off the page of the past day and move on. This way you will have a better and sound sleep.

Why is self-reflection important?

There are many reasons why is self-reflection important for you? It is imperative to know yourself at a deeper level.

Self-reflection increases Self-awareness.
Self- awareness increases Self- improvement. Self- improvement increases Self-confidence. which leads to higher Self-esteem.

This is how self-reflection improves our lives. It strengthens self-awareness and let you make better choices for your future.

It is very important to dedicate the same time of the day to exercise self-reflection. This will help you to prioritize your day ahead. You can explore yourself while walking, sitting, or traveling. Choose what style suits you to be honest with you.

Self-Reflection Questions

You should ask these 10 self-reflection questions to keep yourself in the right direction of life.

Do I value my time? Am I using my time wisely to learn new skills and in the direction of my goal?
Am I taking my blessings for granted such as parents, family, friends, health and other resources?
Do I have a healthy perspective about my life?
Am I deceiving myself or am I true to myself being?
Am I waking up with a sense of hopelessness or with energy to achieve my goals?
Do I think negative about the day events when I lay down on the bed for sleep?
Am I putting enough effort to maintain my relationships?
Am I taking care of physical well-being?
Do I try to control matters that are out of my control like the behavior of other people or I easily let things that stress me out?
Am I working to achieve my goals (e.g. exercise more, be a better spouse, save more money) that I’ve set for myself?

Above mentioned self-reflection questions help you to improve your quality life. These self-reflection questions bring satisfaction in your life and will open new horizons for you.

Simple Guide to the Process of Self-Reflection

Let’s have a look at a simple guide to the art of self-reflection:

How to self-reflect?

Stop: Take a break from a particular situation
Look & Identify: Try to get other perspectives on the situation. What you see and notice has another aspect too and it is equally important.
Listen your Inner: Innate wisdom emerges when you give it space and time. Meditation is a way that helps your wisdom to bubble up. Your wisdom is your best guide. Let it lead you and guide you to take major decisions.
Action: Make a road map, identify the steps you need to move forward.

Exercise: How to Self-Reflect?

It is very important to practice self-reflection and learn how to self reflect? Fix a time for self-reflection in a day. Initially, it might seem difficult but in the long run, it will bring benefits. Let’s learn how you can reflect upon yourself.

Sit in a peaceful and quiet environment. It can be any place where you won’t be disturbed by your surroundings. A comfortable place where you can sit and inspire your thoughts. Now ask why what and how to self-reflect questions to you.

Now ask “WHY.” Why you are thinking about this particular event, person, or thing? Why you act that way?

When you ask such questions to yourself, it may help you find the reasons behind your particular act. Some WHY’s are difficult to answer and some are easy. But this self-questioning helps you to comprehend yourself in a better way.

What do you need to do to have different outcomes? What strengths you have to deal with this crisis? What are the pros of some particular jobs or doings? What is your intention today? What is working and what is not working for you? What are your goals?

Examples:

– What should I do when my child has emotional tantrums?

– What is the better way to react when my boss criticized me in front of my colleagues?

– What should I do to have my relations on positive terms?

– What should I do when my fellows bullied me?

Ask “How” you can resolve these issues? Once you have identified the issues that you want to change. Then make a roadmap to achieve your goals. Ask yourself how you can get there? How can you improve certain areas of your life?

Time and Duration

Self-reflection is very important. It is not a good idea to introspect in bed before sleep. This may distract your mind and may disturb your sleep. It is also very important to self reflect for a short period of time and do not get stuck on a train of thought. And do not swell too much in the past. Remember! You have to move on.

Extra Tips for Self-Reflection

It is time to reflect and make it a regular part of your life right now. It will empower you and energize you. But initially, you might have to struggle to grip the process of self-reflection. Read self-improvement quotes and help books. Start writing a journal and keep track of your personal growth. While doing self-reflection exercises, be honest with yourself and be forgiving and gentle with yourself. Give yourself space. And you will learn how much self-reflection is important and beneficial for you. We all are human and can make mistakes. No one is perfect. If you find this process difficult, ask any therapist for professional help to resolve those issues.