I’ve begun to understand that reflection is one of my superpowers as an agile coach and human being.
I reflect on many things; for example—
Exploring my principles—asking myself, am I walking my talk? Am I modeling effectively?
Exploring my ethics and how I’m showing up as a human and a coach?
Checking in to see if I’m endeavoring to “do better” each day and on what is emerging for me?
Brainstorming my continuous learning backlog, which is mainly strengths-based, and considering whether I’m making sufficient progress.
How am I coping with my family’s ongoing health challenges? And am I taking care of myself as a caregiver?
With all the changes impacting my business, reflecting on whether my business strategy is still valid?
Speaking of my self-care, am I effectively managing my WIP? Am I appropriately saying no?
Recalling my last coaching conversation or coaching conversations throughout the day to see where I might improve or better serve my clients?
Considering what am I doing to make the world (DEI, climate, animal welfare, charities, etc.) a better place locally and globally?
Contemplating the future of agile ways of working? Have we jumped the shark? And what part can I play in that future?
Imagining what new and positive voices should I support and amplify? And conversely, what negative, nit-picky, and whiney voices should I publicly challenge?
Reflecting on how well am I reflecting…
Reflection Activities
I thought I’d share some of my activities or spaces where I create space for reflection—
Journaling – writing things down is cathartic for me, and my journals (paper and electronic) are places for me to explore, reflect, and journey.
Quiet spaces – finding quiet time. For example, taking a break in my office and simply meditating for a few minutes or sitting on my back porch and listening to the birds.
Coaching – I find that while I’m coaching and/or as I’m being coaching, there are things that come out of it that I want to reflect more upon.
Writing – As I said earlier, writing is cathartic for me. I don’t even care if I publish a piece. Just the very act of capturing my thoughts and writing them down is beneficial to me. The other aspect is it helps to…get it out of my system.
Inside-out & Outside-in – changing the direction of my reflective thinking is vital for me. If I’m reflecting on an internal emotion, feeling, or reaction, I’ll change the lens to view the event from the outside. Conversely, if focused on an outside event, team, or organization, I’ll focus on how I react to it on the inside and why.
Wrapping Up
This post intends to inspire all of you to reflect on reflection. As I wrote it and reflected, I realized that my being an introvert is one of the fundamental aspects of my need to reflect.
I like to have time to THINK about things. To consider many or all sides before concluding, deciding to experiment, or giving a particular piece of advice.
The other thing I’ve noticed is that I’ve changed my mind quite a bit over time, and I think the reflection is a foundational part of that. The two best ways of seeing that evolution are listening to our Meta-cast podcasts or taking a more extended look at my blog writings.
Anyway, I hope I’ve given you something to reflect on. Stay agile my friends,
Bob.