A few years ago, I was going through a stressful period. I was working a full-time job, studying at university, and building a side-project. I had a hard time falling asleep and waking up. I was a mess.
One time I decided to take a walk. I went to the stadium and began to pass a circle after a circle. While walking, I had time to think about the day and the things I do. When I come home, I fell asleep without fighting chaotic thoughts. From that day, I started practicing reflection every evening, and it now it is one of the most beneficial habits I have.
Reflect on the Day
I start the practice by going through the day. I analyze my actions, habits, human interactions, feelings. During these evening sessions, I can find which series of events made me skip good habits and pick a bad one. I can see if I was doing my best or not, and what was a possible reason for that. The practice helps me keep the mind clear during the day because I don't need to worry about things knowing that I will take my time to think in the evening. This practice also has a positive impact on productivity, when your mind spends less time thinking about life problems, you can stay in focus longer.
Reflect on Areas of Life
Next, I think about life projects. These are the main areas in life that matter. I separate each project from another and reflect on it. Am I putting enough work into it? Am I doing the right things? Am I giving too much time and energy to the project, and is it better to reallocate resources into another one? After asking these questions, I could better see what actions I should take.
Set intention for the next day
The last part is to plan the next day. You could be lost tomorrow without a plan . For example, if you don't know if you will run or go to the gym, it will make it more possible for you to turn off the alarm and don't have a morning routine at all. Also, not having a plan of action for tomorrow will make you less productive since you will waste more time and energy second doubting.
Find Time for Reflection Practice
These days it is hard to find yourself in a state of boredom that leads to thinking about life. Therefore it is more reliable to allocate time for reflection during the day.
When you don't have time to think it is easier to get lost in life, your mind may become fixed on things that you do most of the time, and you may not see all the possibilities around you. You may continue having bad habits without an understanding of what causing them and have the same errors without learning lessons from them.
Reflection practice doesn't take much time, and it can bring positive changes to your life, consider giving it a try.