Self-Examination
Self-examination means reviewing experiences, decisions, and reactions to identify what to repeat or change. It can help turn a past event into a specific adjustment in how you act.
THE IDEA
Self-Examination
Set aside time to review an experience: what happened, how you responded, and what the result suggests about your assumptions. Look for a specific choice you could make differently next time.
Reflection is more useful when it leads to a testable adjustment. After a difficult meeting, for example, you might decide to clarify the decision before discussing solutions, then check whether that helps at the next meeting.
When to use it
Before making a career change, reflect on your past job satisfaction and identify patterns to guide your decision.
After a conflict with a friend, take time to reflect on your reactions and consider alternative responses for future interactions.
When feeling stuck or unmotivated, reflect on past successes to regain clarity and confidence.
During annual performance reviews, use self-examination to set realistic improvement goals based on past achievements and failures.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Post-Project Reflection
After completing a major project at work, instead of immediately moving on to the next task, you set aside 30 minutes to reflect on what went well, what challenges arose, and how you could improve your approach next time.
Daily Journaling
Each evening, you write in a journal about key events of the day, your reactions, and what lessons you can draw from them to become more effective in the future.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What did a recent experience reveal about an assumption you were making?
Which skill would have helped in a recent situation, and how could you practice it?
What is one thing you can do differently tomorrow after examining today's events?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Thinking in Systems and Mental Models Think Like a Super Thinker (Dawson, Marcus P)