Getting the Most Out of Your Reflective Journal
Research by Harvard Business School has found that outstanding leaders take time to reflect. But the reality is that most people’s working lives are characterised by competing demands, fast-pace and multi-tasking.
Taking time to pause and reflect by keeping a regular record of workplace experiences (particularly challenging ones) and what’s been learned, can be a powerful informal method of developing personal and professional skills.
Buy a journal. Writing online doesn’t provide the same benefits as writing by hand. So buy a paper one that gives you free reign to be creative. You can include your own thoughts, drawings, pictures, post-its, different colours – in fact any way you wish to personalise your journal and make it interesting.
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Commit to reflecting for 15 minutes a day. This is by far the most difficult step. So if 15 minutes initially seems impossible, start with five minutes; but start somewhere.
Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.
Choose the right time, preferably the same time each day when you won’t be disturbed. The start of each day or the end of each day provide the best opportunities for reflection, but pick a time that works for you.
Guard these times carefully in your agenda as an appointment with yourself.
Write whatever comes to mind. A journal’s blank pages invite you to hold an honest conversation with yourself every day. In the journal, you can say anything; so give yourself permission to follow your stream of consciousness without judging, censoring, or trying to direct where your thoughts might take you.
Use pictures, drawings, colours, diagrams. Don’t worry about grammar or spelling; however you express yourself is fine.
Don’t share your journal with anyone. Your reflections are yours; they are not for anyone else. They bring you what all the world’s experts, advisers, and executive coaches combined can’t offer you: your own unique perspective.
If you find yourself not knowing how to begin when you’re facing the journal’s blank pages, here are some questions to get you started:
Some Questions to get you started:-
What significant things happened to me at work today? A brief description of the incidents and who was involved.
What did I achieve today?” Be specific not vague.
What did I learn at work?” Answers can range from interpersonal, “I learned how to say ‘no’ to an unreasonable deadline”, to skill-based, “I learned how to use a Gantt chart”. Try and be specific. The more thorough you are, here, the more you can learn from it.
How am I feeling right now? This is an opportunity to be vulnerable, to let your guard down, to be open without worrying how others may react. If you feel positive or a sense of achievement, record this too.
How could I have made today better?” Many of us, when dissatisfied with our day, prefer to write it off, to move past it as quickly and quietly as possible. But by asking yourself how you could have made the day better, you’re forcing your brain to look for improvements. Your day may have been stressful, but don’t write it off until you’ve learned something from it. Look for ONE thing you can do, either prevent it from happening again or to help you deal with it more effectively.
What are the 2 biggest things happening outside of my immediate work group at present?” This could be elsewhere in your business, or in the industry generally. It helps you focus on the wider world of work – and beyond - and not just your own team.
What are my immediate priorities at work today or tomorrow?”
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