Self-reflection is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, and It’s common to do this self-reflection at the start of a new year.
But, I would argue that reflection is important to do at any time of the year.
For me, self-reflection serves many purposes.
- I use it as a source of energy and renewed vigor for life.
- I use it as a fact check for my failing memory.
- To remind myself of good habits that were lost over time.
- … and I use it to be nice to myself, when self-doubt and judgment rears its ugly head.
See, my theory is that we (as people) are always looking for new things to fix old problems, when often the way we used to do something worked just fine.
For example,
I want to focus on incorporating vegetables in EVERY meal.
My first response would be to look up a ton of recipes on Pinterest that are vegetarian or vegan.
But, is that necessary?
I used to eat A LOT of vegetables before I even knew Pinterest existed. How did I do it then?
Well, after reflecting (and chatting about it with my partner), I realized it was pretty simple.
I used to cook a dish, then pick a random vegetable to add to it, but I didn’t always “match” the vegetable to the recipe.
I was totally down for having lasagna with a side of roasted brussel sprouts (for example), just because I wanted to have a veggie with it.
See, it was that simple. Make a recipe with vegetables or throw a veggie on the side. Done!
Goal accomplished.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we need a new thing to propel us in a better direction.
But, other times, we just need a bit of self-reflection to remind us of “good habits that were lost over time”.
The take home point on Self- Reflection
So, take some time in the New Year to self-reflect.
All the “things” you need to accomplish your goals live within you now.
As a matter of fact, you may have already done it in your past.
Tap into that moment in time and use what you know (or have learned) to start on your New Year goals.
If for nothing else, self-reflection doesn’t take too much time and its free. What could be better than that.
xoHanya Marie.
