We are emotional creatures. It’s easy to be influenced by the last thing that happened. Or the first. Or the worst. Or the best. But how was today, really? And how do you know? What do you want to carry with you into the rest of your day or evening? And how can you make that happen? Enter: daily reflection.
Enter: Daily Reflection
Someone made a negative comment at the end of a workshop I facilitated last summer. As I drove home, I was thinking about it. Knowing that reactions are often not about me but rather about something that happened to make that person uncomfortable, I was trying not to let it get to me. Navigating traffic, someone cut me off. Then someone else did a few miles later. I began to get mad.
By the time I got home, I was pretty sure the workshop had been a disaster and I’d had a terrible day. On the kitchen counter, I found the day’s mail, which my child had gotten from the mailbox unasked. That same child had also taken the garbage and recycling bins down to the curb, also unasked. In the pile of mail was a large check from a client company. Suddenly, my day felt a lot brighter.
Stop the mood swings!
Any of that ever happen to you? Does it leave you as exhausted (or annoyed) as it does me? If so, here’s the daily practice I use to help me sort through my day, put it to rest, and move on.
- Name 3-5 specific things that went really well today.
- What is ONE thing that did not give me the outcome I wanted today?
- What went wrong there?
- What can I do differently next time a similar situation happens?
- Is there anything that I need to take action on from the day?
- If so, when will I do it?
Does it work?
Well, only you can decide that for yourself. Try it. What do you have to lose? It works for me. It helps me take a step back and look at the whole day, rather than getting lost in the last or biggest thing that happened. It helps me put things in perspective. I’d love to hear what it does for you.
