For busy professionals taking time for reflection can often be a low priority. It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of your day and neglect to pause for thought. In fact, when you have lots to do, the very act of stopping may not seem possible, and certainly not the best use of your time! However, taking time to reflect really does matter.
The well known phrase 'if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail', attributed to Benjamin Franklin, shows great insight. What's great about this is that we know that by making a good, well-thought-out plan, we are more likely to succeed. We all want to be the best that we can be and planning is key.
There is something exciting about the start of a new year. A time for new opportunities, good intentions and a feeling of enthusiasm. It can be tempting to get on with the year without taking time to acknowledge the year which has been. In fact, taking time to stop and reflect is important in order for you to acknowledge achievements, recognise your learning, and be in a good position to plan for a new year.
Most of us are busy. We are constantly navigating multiple demands in our personal and professional lives, which can leave us tired and overwhelmed.
We have a lot to do and it can be tempting to keep going in the hope that we will get everything done. Our personal needs can also be neglected whilst we resist taking time out to deal with our busy lives.
As we approach the end of the year many of us will be looking forward to the New Year with all of the opportunities this brings. It can be tempting to look ahead, perhaps set some New Years resolutions, and move forward without taking time to acknowledge the year which has been.
We rarely take time to stop and make sense of what has been going on for us when we are constantly busy with our personal and professional lives. It is easy to forget what has been achieved, all that has been learnt and challenges which have been overcome, when we do not take time out to reflect.