Written by: Maureen Chiana, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The start of the new year is an excellent time for self-reflection, as it can help you set goals and plan for the year ahead.
"Don't become too preoccupied with what is happening around you. Pay more attention to what is going on within you." ‒ Mary-Frances Winters
How often do you self-reflect? Once a year? In January?
When was the last time you really reflected on your career path — past, present and future?
Have you thought of and planned out where you want to be this year?
Have you identified your strengths, areas of development, and limiting beliefs that have held you stuck?
Self-reflection is the act of thinking about and analysing your thoughts, actions, and behaviours. It is an essential tool for personal growth and development because it allows you to understand yourself better and identify areas that you can improve on. It is a way to become more self-aware and to make conscious choices about your life.
Self-reflection for leaders
Self-reflection is an essential skill for all leaders to develop, as it allows them to understand their own strengths and weaknesses and how they can improve and grow as leaders. It can also help leaders be more self-aware, leading to better decision-making, effective communication, and successful relationships with team members.
In addition, self-reflection can help leaders to identify patterns in their behaviour and thought processes, which can help them to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Here are a few reasons why self-reflection is important for leaders:
It helps you make better decisions. When you take the time to reflect on your thoughts and emotions, you can better understand your motivations and biases, which can help you make more informed and balanced decisions.
It promotes personal growth. Self-reflection allows you to identify areas where you can improve and take action to make positive changes.
It enhances your leadership skills. You can become a more effective and respected leader by regularly reflecting on your leadership style and effectiveness.
It improves your relationships with others. When you take the time to reflect on your interactions with others, you can better understand their perspective and communicate more effectively.
Overall, self-reflection is essential for any leader who wants to be effective and successful.
A critical aspect of self-reflection is honesty. It is essential to be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings, even if they are difficult or uncomfortable. This can be challenging but essential for personal growth and development.
Here are a few ideas for how you might begin the new year by engaging in self-reflection:
Consider your successes from the previous year for a moment. What do you take pride in? What did you learn?
Consider areas where you would like to make changes or improvements. What are your goals for the new year? How can you work towards achieving them?
Reflect on your values and priorities. Are you living in alignment with what is most important to you? If not, how can you make changes to align your actions with your values?
Keep a notebook where you can record your feelings and thoughts. This can be valuable for organising your ideas and emotions and monitoring your development over time.
Seek feedback from others. Talk to trusted friends, family members, or a therapist about your experiences and ask for their perspective on your growth and development.
In conclusion, self-reflection is an essential tool for personal growth and development. It allows you to understand yourself better, identify areas for improvement, and make conscious choices about your life. By being honest with yourself and engaging in self-reflection consistently, you can make meaningful progress toward living a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
I hope these recommendations prove helpful as you start your journey of introspection for the coming year.
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Maureen Chiana, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Maureen is the CEO and founder of The Mindsight Academy and host of Lead To Excel Podcast. She is a NeuroCoach, delivering Performance Enhancement Treatment [PET] by rewiring the brains of leaders to perform at their optimum.
She is a High Performance Coach, Corporate Consultant, Neuro-Leadership and Emotional Intelligence Specialist, an Award Winning Speaker, that leverages on Neuroscience insights of how the brain works, to empower leaders, executives, female founders and business owners to perform optimally and transform how they lead, work and live.
Maureen is passionate about helping people mitigate the biases that negatively affects them and their decisions, and her framework focuses on the Human Central Processing Unit – THE BRAIN, which helps leaders make better decisions ‒ especially under pressure ‒ thereby improving their overall or targeted performance.
