Welcome to Day 1 of the 10-Day Career Challenge Actually Worth Doing. Today is a day we embark upon self-reflection. This allows you to step into your past, look at your present, and prepare for your future. Whatever stage you are in your career, self-reflection gives you the opportunity to step back and assess where you are, and if it’s where you want to be. If not, then you will take action accordingly.
Self-Reflection
When you look at self-reflection, we are seriously meditating on what’s working in our lives and what we need to change. We need to ask ourselves some hard questions about our careers, homelife, self-care, self-talk, are we getting enough sleep? But, most importantly, asking the needed question, “is my life what I imagined it to be?”.
After my mother passed away, I couldn’t see what would be happening the next day, let alone the next week or year. Actually, after doing my own self-reflection relating to every single thing, I could remember since I was three was exhausting. My self-reflection lasted for 4 years. Yes, 4 years. You might wonder when did I make a move into reality again? Well, it was when my mother visited me in a very sad dream. This was my call-to-action dream. That dream got me moving towards what I love doing, writing and encouraging others. You can read about it on my website, it’s really what stated my career path going in the right direction.
Steps to Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is more than just thinking, its’ strategic, it’s what I consider the practice of introspection. We have to look deep within ourselves to find the root of our life’s patterns. Most of course, comes from our childhood experiences and I don’t say this lightly, there are some things we must unlearn. Having said this, there comes a point in your life if you are still blaming your parents or others for your career choices and you’re over the age of 25… introspectively speaking with respect, you have a bigger problem. Let it go. But, sometimes, our own choices get in the way of the life we want. Let’s move forward with this in mind.
The good news is that you can change this thought pattern and your career choices. You are not stuck, by contrary belief. In fact, you are probably at a great starting point. There are many different types of exercises you can do while in self-reflection, and I will encourage several for you to start. But it will be up to you to journal your journey of self-reflection.
There is a book I will encourage you to read it’s, called, “The Traveler’s Gift, by Andy Andrews. it is about the seven decisions you make for personal success. I have loved this book for many years, a short read, and I believe you may enjoy it as well, especially, if you enjoy history. Andy Andrews‘ life’s mission has been to encourage others with simple truths we forget about, to relearn them over and over, and to open our minds in learning much more to feed our souls.
Self-Reflection: Exercise 1
20 Questions to Know Yourself Better
Listen, we think we know ourselves, but if we don’t spend time alone with ourselves, we don’t know ourselves as much as think we do! Look, what others see in you, is probably not what you see in yourself, but you can get there?
DO this exercise in a quite setting with no distractions. I recommend writing these questions down in your journal, answer honestly, and then you can randomly ask yourself these questions in your head every day if you need to. As a matter of fact, I would even encourage you to come up with some questions of your own, as you get more comfortable with this exercise. Remember, this is for your eyes only.
- Who am I? Emotionally-spiritually-physically. Your beliefs?
- What am I afraid of the most?
- Am I taking care of myself on the regular? Exercise-meditate-journal.
- How do I talk to myself? Is this a true reflection of how I feel about myself?
- Am I employed in a career I love? If not, why?
- Am I letting life’s negativity control my thoughts and feelings?
- What do I think about before I go to bed each night?
- Am I putting positive energy into all my relationships?
- Who am I when no one is around?
- What do I need to do change in my life?
- What do I want most in my life?
- What are my “deal makers and deal breakers”?
- Am I kind to others? Do I care about others? How do I show up to others
- Write a short paragraph on when work really felt satisfying to you, even if you weren’t paid for it.
- What is your daily “moto”?
- Write down words of affirmations you would like to hear you say to yourself and from others.
- What is the one language you would like to learn?
- What would your friends say about you?
- I feel the happiest when I…..?
- What is my legacy?
Self-Reflection Exercise 2
Visualization Exercise
Let’s put your creativity to good use. This is a great exercise to access what you love and would like to have more of in your life.
Create a vision board (you may have done this before) but, if not it’s fun and it works! Not a digital one, the brain processes differently when we are using our hands to create, so create!! Use your own self-expression, it’s all about you and what you love! You can even get a decorative box and place things in it like, pictures of things you want and love, and actual real items too. I have a decorative box of all my plane tickets to all the places I’ve traveled. When I get this box out and reminisce, it reminds me to travel more! Put poems, pictures, scents, cards, toy size things you want into your box and or your vision board. The more detailed you are the more fun you, and will want to visit the board and box a lot.
Visit your vision board and or decorative box filled with all the things you love when you feel stuck, feel sad, want motivation, or maybe just even wanting an opportunity alone to just love yourself because you exist in this world. It’s your love of those things that let’s your spirit’s light shine.
Final Thoughts and Words of Encouragement
Self-reflection is an individual process, that you can do on the daily. In fact, I would encourage you. Always be very mindful of your thoughts and feelings, as they lead to action. So always be asking yourself, “does this thought serve any purpose in my life?” and “do I really need to feel this way about this situation?” Be kind to yourself, don’t overthink things (that’s a whole new book! Ha!). And when you do faulter, it’s not failure… just reframe it into what you are really wanting to do and be in your life. Keep moving, no matter what. It will take time to believe in yourself, but I promise you, you will get there. Hey! I don’t even know you, and I know you’re worth it!
Leaving you with much encouragement for the day as you self-reflect on what an amazing person you are.
Leave me a comment about your progress.
“I want to be the best version of myself for anyone who is going to someday walk into my life and need someone to love them beyond reason.”
― Jennifer Elisabeth
We’ll chat soon,
