Since I started out on my own as a private consultant, I find that I spend an extraordinary amount of time thinking about money, or if not money, then the (financial) implications of everything. Few hours pass by in a day where I am not thinking about the current and future state of my business, as well as my personal and entrepreneurial direction, goals, motivation, and the like. I worry about whether this idea is working, or whether that project is worth continuing. I have a near constant flow of ideas for written articles, social media posts, possible projects, new promotional initiatives, etc. I worry about clients, both the number of them, as well as their individual needs and success, and my role in both of those areas.

While this sort of concern and mental turbulence is not entirely new to me (worrying is my baseline), the level of risk is perhaps a bit higher than it was when there was no regular pay cheque coming in. It is a bit wearing if I am completely honest. However, if all of that is set aside, is it entirely bad? No, it is not. Why not? Well, I am glad that you asked.

Reflection is useful if it is constructive (not necessarily positive)

I think that there is much to be gained through reflection, which is basically different layers of thinking. When I think of reflection, there are two definitions that come to my mind. The first has an external element, such that being where you are is projected back to you. As you see the reflection, you gain perspective and clarity. The second definition is internal in nature, being where essentially what you can think, imagine, or remember is reflected around and around your mind, coming back to you from different angles, perspectives, and intensities. As you reflect in this way, you gain wisdom and truth.

I have long suggested to my clients that the end of the season is a good time for reflection, as it is a chance to conduct a sort of annual, mental inventory and decluttering exercise. I still recommend carrying out this exercise at the end of the season, at the conclusion of any major milestone, or staged periodically throughout the year, for a few reasons.

Cluttered but Fresh

All the things that you have experienced and seen are fresh in your mind. The pain, discomfort, and mild chafing of inefficiency can quickly be recalled, without difficulty. You can see what went wrong (or right), as well as the details of the events that surrounded each element. There will be a pile, but better a pile in the open air and light of honest thought, than a dusty closet filled with stuff that will occasionally dumps out troubles when they cannot be dealt with easily.

I like what Peter Drucker, had to say on the subject.

Thinking is not wrong, no matter what others might claim (yes, some people say so). Thinking is how you untangle the chaos and prepare the ground for future successes. Just as you must prepare a field in several ways before you can seed it, you also need to prepare your mind for action.

For those that say that thinking is not productive, I only agree on one condition. Thinking that is entirely focused on amplifying and magnifying the pile of negativity is not good. If you keep your thinking constructive, you cannot go wrong. I am not suggesting that you only focus on what went right, only that you hold each item up to examine it with the purpose of improvement.

Procrastination just means you have less time (in the end)

The sooner that you plunge into reflection, the more time that you will have to envision solutions, devise strategies, and to gather resources prior to implementing your fixes and ideas in the next round of your business life.

To flip what I said before, basically, the longer that you put off reflection, the less time that you will have to get on with things. Do not procrastinate your future. The sooner you get into it, the more you can have a hand in what it looks like.

Those that think together, succeed together

One of the pitfalls that many people fall into when they embark on reflection is that they go alone, or they feel like they can only solve everything by themselves. While some amount of thinking will likely need to be done alone, in my experience more success will come when you bring others into the conversation. If you have a partner or partners, a management team, staff leads, or trusted employees in your business, why not include them at some point of the process? If you work on your own, like me, get yourself some trusted mentors or confidantes that you can bounce things off.

It is a simple math equation. If one person can accomplish X, then two, three, five, or ten, can accomplish more. If one person’s reflections can yield much more perspective, as well as many more impressions and insights, then clearly more people can multiple the outcomes.

Even if you are the final word when it comes to whatever it is you are doing, it is reassuring and empowering to be surrounded by supporters. Marathoners run the entire race, but their supporters lift and encourage them throughout the entire race, just by being there.

Find joy in the journey, as reflection motivates for the next stage

As we undertake reflection, and its sibling, introspection (which is the reflection of ourselves and our qualities, worth, characteristics, etc.), we have an opportunity to gain strength and motivation as we see what have accomplished.

If you are entirely focused on the distant, almost-impossible-to-see, future, you may very well fade and falter before you get there. Reflection can help you to see progress along the way. If you stop periodically along the path, you will notice the beauty of the moment, and you will be able to gather yourself for the next stretch.

While I have spent a lot of time worrying about whether I am going the correct direction, I can also acknowledge that I have, in fact, accomplished plenty in a short time. I have successfully launched myself in an entirely unplanned career direction. I have learned to do new things and learned to do familiar things better or differently. I have met new people. I have been able to bring to bear my experience and expertise, outside of the safety net that I had functioned in previously. And I am further along my life’s path, even if it is in a slightly different direction.

Are you further along than you were a week, a month, a year, a decade ago? Sure, you are. Are you the same person that you were “then”? No, you are not. And that is a good thing, if you will take a moment to reflect on it.