In its simplest sense, self-reflection is the capacity for humans to introspect and learn more about their fundamental nature and essence. When practiced often, it can be incredibly empowering and reap significant wellness benefits.
Reflecting on your work-life forces you to pause and take the time to recall your highs and lows for the year — as we know, the pandemic mixed in with technology and our 24/7-access to information on the internet often means we forget to slow down.
10 questions to help you reflect on work
Here are some big-picture questions to consider and reflect on, as we prepare for the year-end break. You may not have an answer for every question, but they can serve as reminders of where you’re currently at and where you see yourself in the coming 12 months.
Before you start, remember to be honest with yourself and type or write down your answers so you can keep a record for review.
- In the last 12 months, what were your three best work experiences? Be as specific as you can – what project, team, role, activities?
- What were your three worst work experiences? Again, be specific.
- What were three essential elements of your job in the last 12 months that made it a success and, in turn, made you satisfied? Can you easily list more than three?
- What were three elements of your job in the last 12 months that hindered or impeded success and in turn, made you unsatisfied? Can you list more than three?
- What five skills, talents and pursuits would you like to develop or attain in the next 12 months?
- What can you talk about non-stop in work capacity? Does it energise you every day or only sometimes? Is what you identified your passion, or is it something completely different?
- What’s one thing you didn’t achieve in the last 12 months? What was the reason it didn’t happen? Would you do anything to change the outcome? If so, how?
- If you knew you couldn’t fail, what’s something you want to achieve in the next 12 months?
- How would you rate your role currently out of 100%? What’s stopping you from being at 100%? Are there any obstacles in the way? What factors would increase that percentage? What percentage did you land on if those elements were added?
- If there were no limitations, what experiences, skills, activities, or responsibilities would you like to have in the future? List 12 answers.
Self-reflection for our working lives is not just for employees who are unhappy in their current role. We should assess our lives from time to time to determine what’s working well and what isn’t, and take stock of what we are grateful for, what brings us career satisfaction, and what aspects of our career we can improve on.
This article is contributed by Michael Page.
