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Actual for You - Reflection for Personal and Professional Development
When my sons were growing up they started playing hockey when they were 6 years old. Each of them, in their first year, scored more goals than the rest of their team combined. How did they do this?Have you ever seen a hockey game between two teams of 6 year olds? The puck is like a magnet to them. Where ever the puck goes they follow like a swarm of bees. The game is one mass of young kids all clustered around the puck, pushing and shoving each other. It's like a rugby scrum.The result of this is that usually the puck squirts out of the mass of bodies, slides 10 or 15 feet down the ice, and stops. A few seconds later the mass of bodies descends on it and the process starts all over again.So how did both my sons score so many goals?It wasn't hard to score in those games - if
The tenses of reflection are:
REFLECTION ON THE PAST
REFLECTION IN THE PRESENT
REFLECTION FOR THE FUTURE
WISDOM FROM REFLECTION
“Without reflection, experience is not cumulative.” - Unknown
Reflection plays a major role in acquiring wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience with enough reflection to create your own personal brand of wisdom unique to you. No two people bring the same wisdom to a situation. Wisdom is unique to the individual.
Consider the following equations:
INFORMATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = WISDOM
When learning anything for the first time you need information in terms of data, vocabulary, facts, information, skills, attitudes in order to learn to do something which then becomes your experience and yours alone. Knowledge is the result of information plus experience. You accumulate knowledge in a variety of ways and in many aspects of life. But knowledge by itself isn’t wisdom.
Wisdom comes from the knowledge you have
If you are focused on growing your online or ebay auction internet business you will know that finding the right wholesale dropship distributor can make a big difference in your bottom-line.The key to being highly successful online is focusing on niche products in a variety of categories and developing themed websites or ebay auctions around these various products. The only problem with that is that sometimes finding wholesale dropship distributors can be a big hassle.Even worse sometimes when you find the right wholesale dropship distributor, it will only last for a short time before the supplier changes their policy on drop shipping. So you spend all the time researching to find drop ship distributors and then you loose out end the end.This is why ebay powersellers and other g
Or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
REFLECTION
Reflection IS a personal and a professional development activity.
I consider myself a “reflectologist”, a term I created during one of my reflection sessions. A reflectologist believes in the importance of reflection for growth and change. A reflectologist takes the time to build reflection into all activities. Reflectologists spread the word about the importance of taking time to reflect. Reflectologists use reflection to bring direction, peace, and understanding to life. I’m proud to consider myself a reflectologist both personally and professionally.
Effective and meaningful reflection is done deliberately. It is done with a conscious effort. You don’t accidentally reflect on something about which you are very interested. Positive change does not occur without deliberate reflection.
I have coined a phrase – RaW Stems? - that is useful in understanding the power of reflection. A RaW Stem? refers to an open-ended statement or question that leads your mind to reflecting on the past, in the present and/or for the future. The ‘R’ stands for reflective; the ‘a’ stands for and; the ‘W’ stands for writing. A Reflection and Writing Stem is like a sentence completion or question which allows you to fill in your thoughts.
RaW Stems? are useful. It is very important that you both reflect on something and make some written notes as well. The writing is the doing part of thinking. Writing is important because it allows the mind to continue to work on things after you have stopped deliberately thinking about them. Writing allows you to return to your train of thought picking up where you left off.
Reflection without writing can be frustrating. Many a great idea has been lost because it wasn’t recorded, in detail, when it was first conceived. Writing is the initial doing part of action based on reflection. Writing is a trigger for the subconscious mind to begin working. Writing leads to more reflection. It is a record of previous thoughts and the starting point for new considerations.
Here are some Raw Stems of a general nature to help you understand the concept. The better you become at creating your own stems for the topic you wish to pursue the better off you will be. It will focus your reflective process, generate ideas, and bring results sooner.
This turned out this way because…
If I were doing it over again I would…
I want my actions to be my best effort always so…
I truly believe…
The practicalities of this are…
When I’m done I hope that…
Others have said that…
I realize now that…
I’m really good at…
Next time, I’ll…
The learning curve this time…
I’ve learned in the past that…
I’ve always wondered…
It seems reasonable to me that…
Reflection is a skill. As a skill it can be learned. We can teach ourselves and others to make reflection time an integral part of both the personal and professional sides of our lives. Reflection should be a daily occurrence but not in a haphazard fashion.
We can teach ourselves the techniques of good reflection. We can develop our own “best practices” for effective reflection. We can allow ourselves to embrace reflection as a necessity in our lives.
Consider the concept of reflection in terms of time. There are past, present and future tenses of reflection. You can reflect ON THE PAST in terms of what has already taken place and that can’t be changed. This is past tense reflection.
You can also reflect IN THE PRESENT as you are in the process of doing something. This present tense reflection allows changes to be made as you go along.
And, of course, there is also a future tense of reflection FOR THE FUTURE .This could be called many things including dreaming, goal setting, aspiring…
Reflection time gives you total control of the past, present and future. Reflection implies doing something. Reflection without doing is a waste of time. There is doing and not doing, there is no such thing as trying. You have already done something, are currently doing something, or will be doing something.
We can set aside time specifically for reflection. Never feel guilty about physically doing nothing while you are mentally engaged.
Effective use of reflection time is made effective only if actions are taken. Ideas born out of reflection that do not lead to action render the ideas inert and of little or no value to anyone, least of all you.
The tenses of reflection are:
REFLECTION ON THE PAST
REFLECTION IN THE PRESENT
REFLECTION FOR THE FUTURE
WISDOM FROM REFLECTION
“Without reflection, experience is not cumulative.” - Unknown
Reflection plays a major role in acquiring wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience with enough reflection to create your own personal brand of wisdom unique to you. No two people bring the same wisdom to a situation. Wisdom is unique to the individual.
Consider the following equations:
INFORMATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = WISDOM
When learning anything for the first time you need information in terms of data, vocabulary, facts, information, skills, attitudes in order to learn to do something which then becomes your experience and yours alone. Knowledge is the result of information plus experience. You accumulate knowledge in a variety of ways and in many aspects of life. But knowledge by itself isn’t wisdom.
Wisdom comes from the knowledge you have
How do we build a business? This is the ultimate question. Our quest to grow our company into our vision is something we all strive for. But how do we do this? How do we market ourselves in order to build awareness and attract our ideal clients? Some of life’s greatest questions have the simplest answers. I will attempt to offer my philosophy as to one of business’s greatest questions.I’ve titled this article: The Orchid Principle. Have you or someone you know love Orchids? Orchids need an incredible amount of tender loving care. They need to be fed, watered, and even placed next to a compatible fellow orchid in order to prosper and grow. You may wonder, is all this worth it? Well, yes! Orchids, when they are properly cared for will bloom continuously for over a year! This is a major payoff. Y
RaW Stems? are useful. It is very important that you both reflect on something and make some written notes as well. The writing is the doing part of thinking. Writing is important because it allows the mind to continue to work on things after you have stopped deliberately thinking about them. Writing allows you to return to your train of thought picking up where you left off.
Reflection without writing can be frustrating. Many a great idea has been lost because it wasn’t recorded, in detail, when it was first conceived. Writing is the initial doing part of action based on reflection. Writing is a trigger for the subconscious mind to begin working. Writing leads to more reflection. It is a record of previous thoughts and the starting point for new considerations.
Here are some Raw Stems of a general nature to help you understand the concept. The better you become at creating your own stems for the topic you wish to pursue the better off you will be. It will focus your reflective process, generate ideas, and bring results sooner.
This turned out this way because…
If I were doing it over again I would…
I want my actions to be my best effort always so…
I truly believe…
The practicalities of this are…
When I’m done I hope that…
Others have said that…
I realize now that…
I’m really good at…
Next time, I’ll…
The learning curve this time…
I’ve learned in the past that…
I’ve always wondered…
It seems reasonable to me that…
Reflection is a skill. As a skill it can be learned. We can teach ourselves and others to make reflection time an integral part of both the personal and professional sides of our lives. Reflection should be a daily occurrence but not in a haphazard fashion.
We can teach ourselves the techniques of good reflection. We can develop our own “best practices” for effective reflection. We can allow ourselves to embrace reflection as a necessity in our lives.
Consider the concept of reflection in terms of time. There are past, present and future tenses of reflection. You can reflect ON THE PAST in terms of what has already taken place and that can’t be changed. This is past tense reflection.
You can also reflect IN THE PRESENT as you are in the process of doing something. This present tense reflection allows changes to be made as you go along.
And, of course, there is also a future tense of reflection FOR THE FUTURE .This could be called many things including dreaming, goal setting, aspiring…
Reflection time gives you total control of the past, present and future. Reflection implies doing something. Reflection without doing is a waste of time. There is doing and not doing, there is no such thing as trying. You have already done something, are currently doing something, or will be doing something.
We can set aside time specifically for reflection. Never feel guilty about physically doing nothing while you are mentally engaged.
Effective use of reflection time is made effective only if actions are taken. Ideas born out of reflection that do not lead to action render the ideas inert and of little or no value to anyone, least of all you.
The tenses of reflection are:
REFLECTION ON THE PAST
REFLECTION IN THE PRESENT
REFLECTION FOR THE FUTURE
WISDOM FROM REFLECTION
“Without reflection, experience is not cumulative.” - Unknown
Reflection plays a major role in acquiring wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience with enough reflection to create your own personal brand of wisdom unique to you. No two people bring the same wisdom to a situation. Wisdom is unique to the individual.
Consider the following equations:
INFORMATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = WISDOM
When learning anything for the first time you need information in terms of data, vocabulary, facts, information, skills, attitudes in order to learn to do something which then becomes your experience and yours alone. Knowledge is the result of information plus experience. You accumulate knowledge in a variety of ways and in many aspects of life. But knowledge by itself isn’t wisdom.
Wisdom comes from the knowledge you have
Write like you talk. One of the biggest mistakes people make when writing B2B marketing letters is using very formal language. It’s a very common mistake.It's one that I made all the time when I first started writing copy in 1991. (In fact, sometimes I still screw it up).The bottom line is this: Make your letters sound like a conversation - in print. Your message has to sound like one real human being talking to another. Forget ALL the formal phrases taught in "Business Letter Writing 101. When you meet a prospect in person, you wouldn't say "I hand you herein my new promotional catalog." So why say, "Enclosed herein" in your sales letter?Simply say. “As you can see I've included a copy of our current catalog of phenomenal products. I think you'll really like what I
This turned out this way because…
If I were doing it over again I would…
I want my actions to be my best effort always so…
I truly believe…
The practicalities of this are…
When I’m done I hope that…
Others have said that…
I realize now that…
I’m really good at…
Next time, I’ll…
The learning curve this time…
I’ve learned in the past that…
I’ve always wondered…
It seems reasonable to me that…
Reflection is a skill. As a skill it can be learned. We can teach ourselves and others to make reflection time an integral part of both the personal and professional sides of our lives. Reflection should be a daily occurrence but not in a haphazard fashion.
We can teach ourselves the techniques of good reflection. We can develop our own “best practices” for effective reflection. We can allow ourselves to embrace reflection as a necessity in our lives.
Consider the concept of reflection in terms of time. There are past, present and future tenses of reflection. You can reflect ON THE PAST in terms of what has already taken place and that can’t be changed. This is past tense reflection.
You can also reflect IN THE PRESENT as you are in the process of doing something. This present tense reflection allows changes to be made as you go along.
And, of course, there is also a future tense of reflection FOR THE FUTURE .This could be called many things including dreaming, goal setting, aspiring…
Reflection time gives you total control of the past, present and future. Reflection implies doing something. Reflection without doing is a waste of time. There is doing and not doing, there is no such thing as trying. You have already done something, are currently doing something, or will be doing something.
We can set aside time specifically for reflection. Never feel guilty about physically doing nothing while you are mentally engaged.
Effective use of reflection time is made effective only if actions are taken. Ideas born out of reflection that do not lead to action render the ideas inert and of little or no value to anyone, least of all you.
The tenses of reflection are:
REFLECTION ON THE PAST
REFLECTION IN THE PRESENT
REFLECTION FOR THE FUTURE
WISDOM FROM REFLECTION
“Without reflection, experience is not cumulative.” - Unknown
Reflection plays a major role in acquiring wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience with enough reflection to create your own personal brand of wisdom unique to you. No two people bring the same wisdom to a situation. Wisdom is unique to the individual.
Consider the following equations:
INFORMATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = WISDOM
When learning anything for the first time you need information in terms of data, vocabulary, facts, information, skills, attitudes in order to learn to do something which then becomes your experience and yours alone. Knowledge is the result of information plus experience. You accumulate knowledge in a variety of ways and in many aspects of life. But knowledge by itself isn’t wisdom.
Wisdom comes from the knowledge you have
1. Create a filing system with broad categories such as “Insurance” and then break those categories down further into sub-categories (i.e., car, life, medical), alphabetizing them along the way. Devote one file drawer to each category (if possible) and use a different color for each category.2. Create a file index for you and anyone else needing to access your files. A file index is basically a user-friendly guide to where each file is located. So if you are looking for an insurance claim, the entry in your file index may look like this: (I call it my Bible-do not lose!)Insurance Claims- Insurance (I-10)3. To minimize interruptions of your own time and others, schedule a 5-minute meeting somewhere during the day with the people you most often need to speak with. This prevents the
You can also reflect IN THE PRESENT as you are in the process of doing something. This present tense reflection allows changes to be made as you go along.
And, of course, there is also a future tense of reflection FOR THE FUTURE .This could be called many things including dreaming, goal setting, aspiring…
Reflection time gives you total control of the past, present and future. Reflection implies doing something. Reflection without doing is a waste of time. There is doing and not doing, there is no such thing as trying. You have already done something, are currently doing something, or will be doing something.
We can set aside time specifically for reflection. Never feel guilty about physically doing nothing while you are mentally engaged.
Effective use of reflection time is made effective only if actions are taken. Ideas born out of reflection that do not lead to action render the ideas inert and of little or no value to anyone, least of all you.
The tenses of reflection are:
REFLECTION ON THE PAST
REFLECTION IN THE PRESENT
REFLECTION FOR THE FUTURE
WISDOM FROM REFLECTION
“Without reflection, experience is not cumulative.” - Unknown
Reflection plays a major role in acquiring wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience with enough reflection to create your own personal brand of wisdom unique to you. No two people bring the same wisdom to a situation. Wisdom is unique to the individual.
Consider the following equations:
INFORMATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = WISDOM
When learning anything for the first time you need information in terms of data, vocabulary, facts, information, skills, attitudes in order to learn to do something which then becomes your experience and yours alone. Knowledge is the result of information plus experience. You accumulate knowledge in a variety of ways and in many aspects of life. But knowledge by itself isn’t wisdom.
Wisdom comes from the knowledge you have
Hard times create amazing successes.Despite all the talk today of an oversupply of goods and services, industry consolidation, menacing imports, stalled prices, and shrinking margins, a few remarkable businesses have discovered how to make their brands irresistible to more and more customers. And they have done it in remarkably speedy fashion, seemingly coming out of nowhere to virtually own their markets. Consider, for example, Google, which went from being a nonsense word to a global verb and supernova of the Internet in only three years, which then led to its becoming a publicly traded company with an $80 billion market cap.Or how about the gizmo named TiVo, which changed television viewing forever for millions of American families by creating buzz outside the typical sales and marke
The tenses of reflection are:
REFLECTION ON THE PAST
REFLECTION IN THE PRESENT
REFLECTION FOR THE FUTURE
WISDOM FROM REFLECTION
“Without reflection, experience is not cumulative.” - Unknown
Reflection plays a major role in acquiring wisdom. Wisdom comes with knowledge and experience with enough reflection to create your own personal brand of wisdom unique to you. No two people bring the same wisdom to a situation. Wisdom is unique to the individual.
Consider the following equations:
INFORMATION + EXPERIENCE = KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE + REFLECTION = WISDOM
When learning anything for the first time you need information in terms of data, vocabulary, facts, information, skills, attitudes in order to learn to do something which then becomes your experience and yours alone. Knowledge is the result of information plus experience. You accumulate knowledge in a variety of ways and in many aspects of life. But knowledge by itself isn’t wisdom.
Wisdom comes from the knowledge you have gained through previous experiences. As you attempt more difficult tasks and activities using your acquired knowledge you gain wisdom. Wisdom requires reflection on top of experience and knowledge. It’s the reflective process that allows you to use the knowledge to solve bigger problems, to analyze and synthesize, create, imagine, explore… With wisdom born of reflection you are able to contribute more, teach others, inspire individuals, provide a new point of view or perspective, combine disparate ideas/concepts to produce new ideas, give new direction to old pathways, influence others, attract disciples, be seen as an innovator… leave a legacy.
Do yourself a favour! Set aside time for reflection. And don’t feel guilty about it!
© 2005 Paul Jackson
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