We do many things out of subconscious mind. Perhaps they are habits that we’re accustomed to and difficult to pass over. Perhaps they made us feel belonged to part of something bigger. We make decisions everyday. By and large, light decisions such as ‘latte, please‘ are subconscious and easy to decide with a blink of emotion subject to a specific context. Heavy decisions may take considerable attention and in spite of thoughtful effort, mistakes are not exemptable. Emotion plays a part in many aspects but will not be elaborated in this context.
Ten years after workforce immersion from all walks of corporate culture, I pursued MBA. I couldn’t recall how I completed it, but my instinct assured it was all about time. The idea was to ignite critical thinking, assess the extent of reality versus theory from textbooks, discover new thinking, and networking with professionals from various backgrounds.
Whilst some may think MBA is all about a piece of certificate for a job upgrade, the key takeaway for me was a different one. It was reflection.
Semester after semester, I realised it wasn’t the course knowledge that hung around. Throughout the three years, nothing was as sticky as self reflection assessment. Self-reflection assessment on what have been learned, both personal and professional levels, relationship with teammates, as well as how these learnings we think we could potentially leverage in developing our maturity to the next level. It indirectly worked two-way when peer assessment was concerned. The fear of being judged made us more conscious of our own doings and encouraged rational than emotional thinking. Could it be just the institution I was attached to? In fact all MBA courses today encourage self-reflection assessment. I am a true believer of reflection and hence, the creation of this blog.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “reflection primarily means the image of something in a mirror or on any reflective surface.” Suffice to say, reflection is about capturing our attitudes projected (thoughts, feelings, and actions) toward new learnings and how we can carry these reflections forward that can be beneficial to us and others. Reflection heightens our self awareness and reduces biases on how we see the world. It makes us more sensible, and therefore more humanistic (Personality Perspectives).
“If I speak of myself in different ways, that is because I look at myself in different ways.”― Michel de Montaigne
How we got here? It’s easy to conclude that we’re driven by situation. Or perhaps destiny has decided that this is where we should land. There isn’t much thinking behind.
Truth is, every milestone matters. It’s easy to fall into an effortless routine or put life on a pilot mode. Needless to say, we may have missed the little achievements along the way. Reflection is key to consciousness. Reflection is hard work, ie; think, feel, and do and run them often. Fret not, the more effort we put into reflecting, the more we are conscious of how we’ve got here.
Reflect past versus present, whether it was yesterday, last week, last month, last year or last decade, you will probably realise how much successes and gratitudes you’ve accumulated that are worth celebrating.
Photo by chefswifediary