Self-reflection: this short article provides a practical explanation of self-reflection. In addition to explaining what it is (meaning and definition), this article also highlights some practical examples, sample reflection questions, and the benefits of this personal development method. Enjoy reading!
Self-reflection: this short article provides a practical explanation of self-reflection. In addition to explaining what it is (meaning and definition), this article also highlights some practical examples, sample reflection questions, and the benefits of this personal development method. Enjoy reading!
Self-reflection is the human capacity to observe and analyze one’s own cognitive, emotional and behavioral processes. It helps to estimate the effectiveness of skills and how they can be improved.
Reflection is an important part of learning. That goes for any role, be it professional or private. A small example. Suppose one day you make a dish based on an old recipe. The meal fails completely. Next time, you don’t follow the exact same recipe, but adjust it so that the meal will hopefully be a success.
Thinking about your own skills and own actions helps to achieve improvement.
Self-reflection is defined as the mental process used to increase understanding of who you are, what your values are, and why you think, act, and feel the way you do.
This is also called thinking about one’s own being, or metacognition. When people reflect, they are more aware of what motivates them for different things. This helps them develop and grow.
Self-reflection can be used in many situations and contexts. A similarity between these situations is that you ask yourself questions to initiate the reflection process.
In general, we distinguish between three forms of reflection:
There are a number of models that help with this, such as the Korthagen reflection circle diagram, the STARR reflection model, Gibbs’ reflection model or David Kolb’s learning styles. Other well-known names when it comes to learning and reflection are John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Kurt Lewin.
Examples of some standard reflection questions are:
It is clear that reflection and self-reflection are at the basis of self-development and self-fulfillment. It brings many advantages.
Research published in Harvard Business Review shows that leaders who engage in self-reflection every day feel more motivated and less exhausted than leaders who don’t.
Similar research shows that a moment of self-reflection during, for example, travel time, makes you happy and more motivated. In addition, regular self-reflection ensures that people are more productive.
Regular self-reflection increases the chance of making better decisions. A consequence of making better decisions than before is that people experience more positive results. This in turn makes people feel more capable and confident. This also benefits our self-esteem.
