Self-reflection (In Your Profession)
A defining attribute of the human brain is its ability to think about thinking, or to think introspectively, to use a giant nerd word.
Animals may have some level of this capacity, though it's difficult to know since they're language skills aren't compatible with ours (yet); but nevertheless, we humans have what appears to be a unique gift, or skill, or power, which allows us to self-correct (or self-destruct) by thinking about how and why we have particular thought "patterns" or "ruts."
Such patterns are the result of repeated neural stimulation (aka thinking), which drives creation of additional synapses (connections) between neurons in the brain; and as we intentionally or unintentionally use and re-use these neural pathways, they become stronger, more defined, and more automatic. They are, in many ways, like our muscles that become larger and more effective the more we use and challenge them.
For more on this topic (from a secular perspective), I recommend the book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr. Julie Smith.
For more on this topic (from a Christian perspective), I recommend the book, Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel.
Great, so what?
Why To Self-Reflect:
Because our brains develop these "pathways" throughout life (whether you realize it or not), we can end up cruising through life, thinking (and thus acting) in particular ways that are automatic to us, but they may also be ineffective or destructive in the eyes (perceptions) of those around us.
In the context of careers/professions, these "ways of thinking & acting" become our daily behaviors, which over time become our reputation; and ultimately, they become a key defining factor in our career trajectory.
Self-reflection is so important because we tend to be somewhat blind to the existence of these pathways, or more practically, our behavior patterns. We just don't see it because it has become so natural, normal, and comfortable to us.
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| Image generated by ChatGPT on 19 Sep 2024 |
It reminds me of the illustration of fish in water (see this video; contains mild profanity).
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| Image source: https://medium.com/humble-ventures/making-water-visible-656e4b9ba3c9 |
I suggest you reflect on this concept for a while, because it can be difficult to become aware of the "water" in your life--the things that are so common and familiar to you that you become unaware of them.
In addition to self-reflection, we can also benefit immensely from seeking feedback from the people we interact with regularly (e.g. family members, clients, stakeholders, direct reports, peers, etc.); but that topic is outside the scope of this article.
For now, let's look a little closer at self-reflection as a discipline and discuss how to become more effective at doing it.
How To Self-Reflect:
In its fundamental sense, self-reflection is asking yourself why you think the way that you do--about everything.
That can be a bit overwhelming, so you need to break your thoughts down into chunks, or categories. For instance, you can self-reflect on why you associate certain people with certain things (e.g. biases), when perhaps you shouldn't. Or you might ask yourself why you have a tendency to respond negatively to advice from one person and not another.
There may be legitimate reasons for your thought patterns; so not every pattern is bad or needs correcting. But some, perhaps even many, do.
So, as you identify the "why" in your thought processes, the next step is to ask yourself if the reason/rationale is good or not.
What is "good"?
I cannot answer that for you. You get to decide the moral/ethical framework in your life. That's sacred ground.
But in the context of careers and professions, we are often given a set of standards, pillars, or guidelines from the company or organization that we work for. HR exists for a reason. So, in your career, you may find yourself self-reflecting against a somewhat different set of standards relative to your personal life. (Which is why people say things like, "I would never say something like that to someone at work!")
For sake of this discussion, let's assume you have a framework or compass to compare against, because without it self-reflection is pretty meaningless.
Now you have a thought process that you're thinking about, and you've compared the "why" of that thought process to your ethical/moral framework.
If you identify misalignments or inconsistencies, you get to choose whether it's tolerable or not; and if not, spend time thinking about how to correct it. Then, correct it! This can be relatively simple and easy, or it can be incredibly difficult, depending on the "deepness" of your neural pathway.
When To Self-Reflect:
Busy lives create an environment that is not conducive to self-reflection.
And if there is one defining word for most working-age adults in America, it's busy.
Being busy and moving constantly from one thing to the next may not allow us to set time aside to think; so, we need to make the time.
Time management is a different topic, so I'll try to stay focused here; but understand that a healthy lifestyle involves making adjustments to all aspects of life.
If you find yourself not having time to self-reflect, it is because you are not prioritizing it. All of us have time for the things that matter to us.
Let me encourage you to make the time, because it will benefit you personally and professionally.
Here are some suggestions for how to make time for self-reflection:
- Maintain a list of topics/issues (likely in your phone) that you want to self-reflect on so you don't forget about them. Many times you think about the topic/issue in the morning but won't have time to self-reflect until lunchtime, or even a few days later.
- Utilize downtime in your regular schedule. We often fill these down times with mindless activities, such as scrolling social media, playing a game on our phones, watching TV/movies, etc. None of these are bad, of course, but they do consume time (your most valuable commodity).
- Adjust your sleep schedule to wake up 20-30 min earlier and add self-reflection to your morning routine.
- Regardless of whether the above items work for you or not, schedule (like, for real schedule in your calendar) 30-60 min per week (at a minimum) to self-reflect. You can couple this to a walk (highly recommended) or some other mindless activity (e.g. pulling weeds, pruning/watering plants, mowing the grass).
