November 11, 2009
No time for Reflection?
Feel like you don’t have enough time each week to get it all accomplished?
Join the crowd.
One thing that I have found as a corporate refugee and an aspiring entrepreneur is that only I…that is ME, can change my personal habits of how I tackle each week. I still run a to-do list that is longer than I would like it to be.
I still can’t seem to get all the things done each day that I would like to accomplish.
So, I was reminded last week at a Purpose Project gathering at which we exchanged ideas with Greg Vanourek (check him out at www.lifeentrepreneurs.com) about some tenets that the very successful entrepreneurs have in common.
The seek and grab opportunities….OK, I do that.
They take action….OK I do that.
They MAKE TIME to reflect….OOPs.
You see for many of us, reflection seems way to idle….HOW is sitting and reflecting getting the tasks done on my to-do list? I have always had difficulty MAKING time to do this.
Why is reflection so important?
1) Well, if you are good copier of the habits of successful people, look around. All the successful people I know, take time….each day, each week…. write, analyze, ponder….reflect. Isn’t it smart to borrow from the successful and “copy” some of their habits it we too want success?
2) It is a basic of human learning. Particularly with adults, we do NOT learn best through classroom experiences. We learn through our experiences. And those experiences only TEACH us if we sit back and think about what we experienced, what went well, and what could have gone better.
So, this week, look at your schedule. If you already reflect, CONGRATULATIONS! If not, consider carving out time to reflect…to self-assess, to take in what you see others doing around you. Then purposefully choose what you will you do based on that reflection for the next week, month, etc.
Please comment if you agree or disagree with this post….or if you want to add any of YOUR personal experiences. We would love to hear them!!! 
Have a great day!
Barb
Filed under Blog, Blog: Barb Reindl, Work we LOVE!, Your Entrepreneurial Edge by Barb Reindl
Comments on No time for Reflection? »
I agree.
Assuming your priorities and commitments are all in alignment. [You may want to do this step first because until you do, your 'to do' list will be full of items that defeat, stall, hurt one or more of your other priorities and commitments on the list.]
Break your 'to do' list into 3 parts.
Doing NOW list. This list is short and only has what I will do today on it. If it is on this list IT WILL GET DONE NOW, Today. If it keeps showing up for a couple days I put it on the next list.
Not Doing Now list. This is what most people call a ‘to do’ list. Every day it tends to gets longer. Mine has a date attached to the item. It is the day I put it on the list. If it does not move to the DOING NOW list in 30 days I add it to the third list. Review the NDNL every couple days and no longer than once a week. Once you actually get your ‘doing now list’ completed this is where you pull from to forward priorities and commitments.
NEVER DOING Now List. This is where all the great ideas and plans are stored. In the beginning I added a lot to this list. It wasn't going to get done now, it wouldn't survive 30 days on the not doing now list so I just put it here. A huge list of great ideas and future projects that no longer clutter my 'to do' list saves you from the frustration of all the powerful ideas you have but will not start today or this month. This is where most people actually put reflection… it belongs on the Doing NOW list to be done daily. I review this list in total every quarter. It is where; “WOW that is a perfect idea for now!” comes from. It can be added to’ not doing now‘for review or break it into pieces to move the pieces on to the ‘Doing NOW’ List.
Once an item is a habit that has a life of its own it does not need a list. Tying your shoes, brushing your teeth, taking a shower… none of these needs a list. .
P.S. No one learns best in a classroom experience. The proof is how well homeschooling out performs their peers.