I think we can all agree that the quote is pretty spot on. It’s crazy to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Something has to change for the result to change. So, if we want our future to be more successful, we need to think about what we’ve been doing up until now and see what has worked toward our success and what has been a hindrance to achieving our goals. This is called reflection. And right now is a perfect time to reflect, because we’re starting a new year (woohoo for 2020!) and a new semester.
Reflecting isn’t something we usually do for fun; so, first, let me quickly try to convince you to even consider doing it. It’s NOT going to take you long. It might take 20 to 25 minutes out of your 24-hour day. That’s only 20 minutes out of 1440 minutes. You won’t miss much by carving out 20 minutes. Also, you can do it whenever and wherever you want. You don’t have to completely go out of your way to do this. You could do it on your way to school or before going to bed. All you need is some concentrated time to do it. Try to avoid distractions while you do it.
If you’re still reading, it means that you’re at least considering doing this reflection thing. That’s great! Let me give you some guidelines that may help you in this endeavor.
Identify the areas that were successful and the areas that need growth. Make a list. Write it down. Trying to do it in your head won’t work so well, because you’re using brain power to remember things instead of using it all to reflect. So, write your list down.
Reflect on why you were successful. Start positive. Figure out why you did well. Like in the last step, write it down. It’ll probably help you see patterns. Also, when you’re trying to figure out why you were successful, it’s important to look for tangible actions and to be specific. For example, it’s not enough to say that you did well in History because you like and enjoy it. That may be true. But that’s most likely not the reason you did well. The fact that you like it and enjoy it probably motivated you to pay more attention in class, to take good notes, to review and study at home, etc. Those are the tangible actions that led or contributed to your success. Also, be as specific as possible. For example, you might write “I reviewed and studied at home every day for 40 minutes.” Once you specify how often and for how long you did it, you’re able to see patterns more clearly. So, look for tangible actions and be specific.
Reflect on why you didn’t do so well. Now that you have a pretty good idea of why you were successful, it’ll be easier to figure out why you weren’t in other areas. It’s just a matter of comparing. Again, you want to find tangible actions that led to you not getting the results you would prefer. For example, if you got a low grade in a class, you might write that it was because you didn’t pay attention in class or because you didn’t study at home. Granted, there are times when our success is hindered by our limitations or by factors that are outside of our control. For example, maybe you genuinely have a hard time understanding Math and you’re already trying your hardest, or maybe you had an unexpected family trip that made you miss school. If these kinds of factors hindered your success, make sure to write them down, too.
Decide on and commit to a change. Now comes the hardest part. It’s time to change. And making a change can be tough, because we’re creatures of habit. The good news is that making a change is simply a way of creating new habits, and the more you commit to the change and follow through with it, the easier it will become to continue doing it. Once you get to that point, the change will become the new normal. So, let’s do this! Now is the time to look at the list of why you didn’t do so well and come up with ways to change. Reviewing the list of actions that led to your success might give you clues as to what change to try out. Keep in mind three things when you’re doing this: choose tangible actions, be specific, and be realistic. For example, if the reason you did badly in a class is because you didn’t study at home, then you can decide to review and study for that class (tangible) every other day for 30 minutes (specific and realistic). Don’t say that you’ll study for that class everyday for 2 hours. That’s not realistic. You’re not going to do that if you’ve never studied for that class before. Plus, you have other classes that you need to study for. If the reason you did badly were factors out of your control, try to find ways around those kinds of situations in the future. For example, if you genuinely have a hard time with Math, then you might have to work twice as hard in that class, or you might need to get a tutor. If it was something like an unexpected trip, then think about what you could’ve done differently. Could you have taken your school stuff? Could you have contacted teachers and classmates to not fall behind on your work? Whatever it is, decide on and commit to your changes. It’s worth it.
Next time you hit a milestone or a snag, just repeat this process and, no doubt, you’ll slowly make your way toward a more successful life. Happy reflecting!
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