[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”https://www.inc.com/author/geil-browning” color=”#75bfea” class=”” size=””]“It is when we take time to reflect–to look back on a day, week, or year and harvest all that valuable ‘stuff’- that our lives are truly enriched.” – Geil Browning[/perfectpullquote]

Part of a healthy routine isn’t just what you do in the morning or throughout the day, but also how you address your big picture – a.k.a your goals. Our lives get busy and we often go from task to task without ever going back to think about/understand how we got each one accomplished. Reflecting on your day, month, or year allows you to think about the big events, how they happened, how they affected you, and what you can learn from it. We all know we can learn from mistakes, but we can and should learn from our everyday tasks. To create intentional reflection time, we can start with asking ourselves questions at these end of every month and/or year:

1. Am I using my time wisely?
   If you have a lot of tasks with pressed due dates, have you been able to meet them? It’s important that we not only meet deadlines, but allow enough time before the deadline to evaluate our work/progress.

2. Do I have a healthy perspective?
   If you’re an overthinker, it’s easy to take a situation and build it up to something it’s not. When you have issues constantly building up, are you taking the time to adjust your perspective? For example, if you’ve been frustrated with work, reflect on 1) why you feel the way you do and 2) how could you go about what you’re doing differently.

3. Do I wake up ready to take on the day?
   Basically: what’s your attitude when you first wake up? You can easily manage and adjust your morning attitude through creating a better morning routine. If you wake up dreading the day and already frustrated, that mindset will continue throughout the day.

4. Could I spend more time reading Scripture?
   A great way to re-adjust your focus is through reading your Bible everyday. Whether it’s in the morning or at night, intentional time in the Word will help you focus on the truth of God and how you can bring that into your day.

5. Have I communicated well? Are there issues I need to address?
   Poor communication leads to many issues you could avoid. If there are issues with coworkers, friends, or family, you can often resolve them with better communication. Most likely, the person you’re in conflict with doesn’t realize it and opening up will make you feel better and make addressing the issue feasible.
   
   
6. Am I taking care of myself physically and mentally?
   This simply means making time to exercise, recharge, and plan. We should all get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. If you’re not in a place (or just loathe) to visit the gym, make time to walk outside or around the office. This helps get your mind off what you’re doing so you come back with a new perspective.

7. Have I achieved my goals? If not, how can I better prepare?
   If you create goals every month, did you actually achieve them? If not, evaluate your time and figure out why you’re not getting them done. You most likely need to manage your time better or change the way your carry out/plan your goals.
   

8. What did I achieve this month?
   Even if you didn’t achieve every goal or get exactly where you wanted to be, list what you did accomplish. It will help you see where you could have filled in gaps or taken time from one task to invest somewhere else.

9. What have I learned about myself?
   You can learn so much about yourself every month. Whether it’s small or something you’ve learned from your self-reflecting time, make note of it. Then, ask yourself if it’s a good quality or one you need to work on. Taking this time to note your personality strengths and weakness will influence how you respond to your everyday tasks.

10. What were my struggles?
    Note what you struggled with that month. It’s most likely to change every month as you’ll deal with different stressors, but reflect on your main struggles. Then take time to figure out how you can address and overcome them.