HIGH ROI
The High ROI Of Self-
Reflection
BY: JIM JUBELIRER, JUBELIRER RESULTS GROUP
“A takeaway is an item from the session that stands
out in your mind as being most impactful. It could be
something someone said, or an insight you had—it
could be anything. ”
M
any successful leaders,
from Richard Branson to
Tim Ferriss, recommend
the importance of self-
reflection.
This
can
manifest itself as an action, such as
meditating to clear the mind. Other
times, it is less clear exactly what it
means and what benefits it imparts.
WHAT IS SELF-REFLECTION?
Reflection, at its core, is about careful
thought. And self-reflection, obviously,
is careful thought about yourself. This
means considering and analyzing
experiences and events with the
purpose of learning from them. It is
an opportunity to pause and create
meaning out of the things that are
happening which can then help to
inform actions and thoughts in the
future. A recent article published by
the Harvard Business School stated
that employees who spend just fifteen
minutes a day reflecting on events and
lessons learned throughout the day
showed a 23 percent improvement in
their performance after a little over a
week! Numbers that large cannot be
ignored. It puts on display the idea that
reflection, even on something as simple
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as the events of the day, can instill
lessons within an individual which may
otherwise slip by.
easy to execute:
•
BARRIERS TO SELF-REFLECTION
The problem is that many people don’t
understand how to self-reflect, usually
as a result of one of these situations:
•
•
•
•
Disliking the Self-Reflection Process
– Slowing down is typically not
in the nature of individuals who
would benefit most from it.
•
Bias for Action – Time spent in
reflection can feel like time spent
doing nothing. After all, nothing is
tangibly being “accomplished.”
Disliking the Results – Self-reflection
is often about confronting mistakes
and finding better ways to do
things, which can be uncomfortable
to think about.
ROI Is Not Immediately Visible – A
return on time invested in reflection
is not evident like it would be after
undertaking other actions.
STEPS TO SELF-REFLECTION
So what are the steps in the process of
self-reflection? Just a handful, and all
•
•
Find the Important Questions – Are
you achieving your goals? Are you
avoiding anything? What could
you have done on that phone call
earlier to improve the result? The
list is endless. Don’t answer these
just yet. All you need to do is
identify questions.
Match Your Natural Preferences to
Your Process – Some people think
better when exercising, some while
they are writing. Find your natural
process for thought and use it for
your reflection time, whether that’s
taking a long walk, journaling, or
chatting with a trusted colleague
or friend.
Set Aside Time to Do It – Driven
people live by their time management
skills and calendars. Schedule a
time for reflection.
Don’t Rush – Jumping in the deep
end first is not always best. Much
like changing a diet or exercise
plan, starting small and working
your way up is ideal. In this
situation, try starting with five or ten
minutes rather than thirty or sixty.