I’m a fan of self-reflection.
I think it can help you avoid being the frog in the boiling pot (that doesn’t know when to get out.) I think the trick is using the right sets of questions.
If you use weekly reflection, you can see the patterns in the problems you face and how you solve them. You’ll be able to see how your responses change over time.
Don’t Blame Situations for Your Troubles
Are you owning your actions and results? Are you as proactive as you can be?
Watkins writes:
“Now focus on the biggest challenges or difficulties you are facing.
Be honest with yourself.
Are your difficulties situational or do their sources lie within you?
Even experienced and skilled people blame problems on the situation rather than their own actions.
The net effect is that they are less proactive than they could be.”
I suggest setting aside 15 minutes at the end of each week to reflect on the following questions.
1. What do you feel so far?
- On a scale of high to low, do you feel:
- Excited? If not, why not? What can you do about it?
- Confident? If not, why not? What can you do about it?
- In control of your success? If not, why not? what can you do about it?
2. What has bothered you so far?
- With whom have you failed to connect? Why?
- Of the meetings you have attended, which has been the most troubling? Why?
- Of all that you have seen or heard, what has disturbed you most? Why?
3. What has gone well or poorly?
- Which interactions would you handled differently if you could? Which exceeded your expectations? Why?
- Which of your decisions have turned out particularly well? Not so well? Why?
- What missed opportunities do you regret the most? Was a better result blocked by you or by something beyond your control?
Use what you learn to improve and get better where it counts.