Looking Back So We Can See Forward

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Looking Back So We Can See Forward

We’ve reached the end of February and have already covered a lot of ground in 2019. I hope you’ve enjoyed our journey so far. We’ve talked about internal and external self-awareness. We’ve looked at ways to develop self-awareness, such as taking personality tests and how to use them. And, we’ve discussed perseverance in-depth so that we can press on and keep making small changes. Whether it is achieving big goals or becoming all we’re supposed to be, if you consistently make small changes you will experience great success.

And this is only month two! I’ve made a commitment to do this weekly throughout the year and I’m excited to see where it goes. Which is the topic for today: Looking behind so we can see forward.

The Right Mindset for Reflection
One of the pitfalls of making small, incremental changes is that you don’t always realize the progress you’re making. So, it’s good to pause once in a while and reflect on what you’ve accomplished.

Think about the different dimensions of your life – personal, professional, and your relationships. What have you been persevering in? What goals have you been working on? Which have you accomplished? You don’t need to pick a specific time frame and your thoughts can be wide ranging, but I would like you to think about things you’ve progressed in.

It is important to do this with the right mindset, though. When you’re doing this, don’t tolerate negative thinking or negative self-talk. It may be helpful to approach this like you’re preparing for a job interview, mentally reviewing the things you want to highlight in the interview. Of course, you wouldn’t tell an interviewer about things you didn’t get to, expectations not met, or self-doubts you have… so don’t do it now.

Taking a moment to reflect and look back on what you’ve done is important because it can change how you see the future.

Look Forward in a New Way
Summers in Alaska are short and jam packed… fishing, camping, hiking… we make the most of the long days. Our family will sit down once school starts and list off all the things we did… trips, hikes, adventures, races, household projects, parties… all things we did while working and taking care of normal life. By the end of the discussion, we’re feeling pretty good about our summer (and we realize why we’re so tired).

For me, when school starts, I can feel like summer is over and I might as well just start a fire and settle in for winter. But, after we spend some time reflecting and I realize how much we did, I get a completely renewed outlook on fall. I’m energized to keep on going out, finding adventures, and tackling new challenges, even small ones, because I know they add up.

Gaining Confidence
Reflecting on what we’ve done and charting a course forward, with confidence, can become a self-perpetuating journey toward a whole new level, and so I hope you take some time to do it. However, this isn’t a motivational technique, like power posing (see link below if you’re interested in that). This is a humble but accurate assessment and judgement of your capabilities, which can promote true self-confidence.

I think some motivational techniques are worth exploring, and there is one I’ve been ruminating on, and that is the use of affirmations. If you’re like me and a product of the 80s, the first thing you think of when you hear “affirmations” is Stuart Smalley saying, “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggoneit, people like me.” Want a trip down memory lane? Here’s the video: https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/daily-affirmations-ii/3506378

I’ve become more open to exploring affirmations. As one person put it, affirmations are “positive brainwashing,” which is another way of influencing our thoughts for good. Affirmations shouldn’t be corny or cheesy; they should be written in a style that is natural to you, and they should be inspiring.

For example, here is my first attempt at one.
I enjoy writing a weekly email and I will continue doing it for the rest of 2019. Not everyone will get value out of every email, but some will. Most importantly, I receive value when I clarify my thoughts through writing. Regardless of what is going on each week, I will find a way to write.

See, not too corny. Do you use affirmations? If so, I’d love to hear about it. If you don’t, but are interested in exploring affirmations more, I’ve included a few links below to get you started.

March On
And that’s a wrap on February and the theme of perseverance. It’s time for March, when I’m planning to share some thoughts on using iterative approaches (which requires perseverance). It is a concept commonly used in technology and has made its way into many aspects of business and life. I’m looking forward to exploring practical applications of the concepts.
Continue taking steps forward, reflect, find new paths to venture on, and never quit.

Thanks for reading and have an awesome Monday!

Brian

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