“What the hell have I been doing for the last 365 days…?”
It was December 30th, 2023.
I sat alone in my room, reflecting on the last year. I made progress on my goals, but there was so much more I wanted to accomplish.
It was like I was waking up from a bad dream.
And here’s the huge problem:
Most people forget to reflect (or never plan to). Why? They don’t see it as a priority. I didn’t either until I witnessed its power.
I thought reflecting was boring and I had no clue where to start. I had tried before and didn’t see any real benefit… because I was doing it wrong. I’ll show you how to do it later. But now? I know it’s the most important thing I do all week. Here’s why…
Most people go through life with a blindfold on.
They put in their 40 hours weekly but don’t know where it’s taking them. They become a product of external forces. They hope one day, they'll accomplish everything they want out of the blue.
But it never happens.
They stuff experience in their heads without turning it into solidified knowledge. Weeks pass… years pass and they still don’t know where they are going or who they want to become.
After years of living an unexamined life, they find themselves surrounded by regret, in a place they never wanted to be.
Here’s how to avoid this.
Escaping the Bad Dream
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
Flash forward to last week.
I sat down for my weekly reflection (I’ll show you my whole process in a second).
The 1st question: How did the week go — what didn’t go well?
My first thought: “The week went well…”
But my weekly schedule said otherwise. I promised myself I was going to work on a project… and didn’t — self-deception at its finest.
This quick action helped me correct my direction and avoid major pitfalls in the future. Was the next week better? Of course.
Our brain has 280,000 thoughts a week — and most of these thoughts are useless, but if you look, you’ll find gold.
So, let’s define reflection.
Reflection is simply examining what you’ve done in the past… and extracting how it can help you in the future.
When you reflect consistently you can live without worry because you create a true north for yourself. You understand where you are going, how you got here, and where you want to go.
This easy, but often overlooked tool will help you avoid repeating mistakes of your past and in the process — you get smarter, stronger, and wiser.
Best of all?
It doesn’t take long. 10 minutes a week can save you hours of your life going in the wrong direction. Here’s my reflection strategy:
Rocky’s 3 Minute Reflection Strategy:
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience” — John Dewey
My Favorite: Talk With Your Future Self
The only person that aligns 100% with your values… is you. When feeling lost or unsure, think about your 80-year-old self. What would they say about the situation you’re in? This may be weird at first, but nothing has helped me more.
Define Your Direction
To be able to reflect, you must know where you’re going. Start by setting big goals, then break them down into months and weeks. Each week, review your goals and what you need to do to accomplish them. When you reflect, you’ll know if you’re off course. If so, make changes.
Same Questions Each Week (start with these):
- “What did you do well this week?”
- “What could be better?”
- “What is the main thing you are focusing on this week?”
- “What could stop you from achieving your goals this week?”
- “If my 80-year-old self were here, what would they say?”
How to Reflect
With most things, personal preference is best. But when I reflect, I write down my answers to weekly questions (on paper). Why? Getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper is therapeutic. Don’t underestimate its power. But do whatever is best for you — focus on building the habit. Then experiment until you find your groove.
Same Time, Same Place
I reflect on Sundays to prepare for the week. It’s always in my office around 9 am (unless I’m traveling). Doing this weekly makes the process less stressful… if you go months without reflecting, there’s so much to sift through that it can become overwhelming. Start small.
Thanks for reading,
Stay curious my friend.
-Rocky "Time-traveler" Ferony
PS… I’m revamping all of the best products I’ve created. They should be ready next week — if you want a sneak peek, click here. (They’re all 100% free).