How often do you take time for intentional self‑reflection?
That’s the poll question I asked my LinkedIn followers last week. 92 responses later, here are the results:
- Daily — 46%
- Weekly — 23%
- Occasionally — 23%
- Never, but maybe I should — 9%
So, about half of the folks who answered take time to reflect every day. That’s proof that even busy professionals can make space for a pause.
Interested in joining the group who engage in daily reflection, or want to freshen your existing daily routines?
Here are five recurring themes that showed up in the comments, illustrated by some of the great people who took the time to share what they do and how they do it to help themselves be their best ever.
1. Journaling, planners & Morning Pages
“I have a very simple process… I reflect on one really good thing that happened and gave me energy. Then I transfer that to my Bullet Journal monthly log page so I can see all of the good stuff that happened every month.” – Matt Cross
“Morning Pages have been a part of my life for decades. I find that brief (3 pages) of morning writing, honored as part of my day’s beginning, offers me insights to my inner landscape.” – Gretchen Krampf
Whether it’s Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages, a Bullet Journal, or the trusty Productivity Planner, writing things down turns vague impressions into lessons you can revisit.
2. Nature‑based pauses
“I go on walks several times a week with no tech… it is a nice break from being always‑on and does allow for some ‘self’ time.” – Jason Balser
“Looking at the sun coming up while dipping in Lake Ontario watching birds swimming by… helps me start my day in a grounded and grateful way.” – Carolyn Ellis
Movement, especially when it’s done outside, engages the body enough to quiet mental chatter and allow insight to surface.
3. Weekly after‑action reviews
“Before I close shop on Friday afternoons, I do a look back… then on Sunday evenings I do a rolling 30‑day look forward.” – Monty Stepura
“My deep reflection cadence is a weekly one with an After-Action approach and a look forward for clarity about the week ahead.” – Chris Palmer
A standing end‑of‑week review converts experience into progress and primes the coming week with fresh intention.
4. Conversation & accountability
“Remember, reflection can be with another person. A senior exec told me he and a colleague practiced this technique when pondering important issues.” – John Baldoni
“I talk to my best friend almost daily… Having a caring person outside of my family and workplace encourage me to self‑reflect keeps my mind and heart open.” – Jesse Finkelstein
Trusted partners can hold up a mirror we can’t provide for ourselves, turning reflection into a shared practice.
5. Spiritual & energy rituals
“I start with Bible Study and meditation… and at the end of the day, I ‘Wine Down’ and capture 3 to 6 things that have been ‘good’ and 1 thing to improve.” – Mark House
“Perhaps Jesuit ‘spiritual exercises’/The Examen can help others—especially in these turbulent times!” – Vicki Arroyo
Tapping into a spiritual or contemplative tradition can lend structure and additional meaning to reflective routines.
Three evidence‑backed ways to start (or deepen) your own routine
Inspired by these great ideas from great people and ready to do more reflection? Any of these three ideas are relatively easy to do and likely to make a difference in helping you be your best ever.
- Bookend your day with two‑minute check‑ins. Research shows that short, consistent reflection boosts learning and self‑efficacy. A quick “What went well? What would I tweak?” is a great way to start.
- Swap scrolling for a tech‑free walk. Just ten minutes walking outside lowers cortisol and improves creative thinking which creates fertile ground for fresh insights.
- Run a weekly start/stop/continue review. This classic after‑action trio turns observations into specific commitments; block 30 minutes on Friday or Sunday and think of it as a meeting with your future self.
And if you want more insights, tune into my new podcast Best Ever. The first two episodes drop this Thursday, July 17. Join me for real conversations with leaders who’ve turned routines like the ones above into reliable engines of the kind of self‑management that leads to positive leadership impact.
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