Self-Reflection - Build Your Aatmavishwas


Anurag Vishwakarma

(2021-01-03)



Every day you push to get work done. You plan out what you are going to do and when. You grab unpredicted and new tasks, never losing focus on where you are going.

And all of this is good because scheduling helps us achieve our goals.

Planning focuses on the future, with a little time spent on the present moment.

But how frequently you give attention to the past? Is any of your time spent reflecting on your day and how it went?

I am not talking about passively thinking about the wonderful things done today. There is a lot of value in reflecting on your day and the work done in the past that will help you accomplish your goals, better your life, and build Aatma Vishwas.

If you want to get value from every day or succeed in life then make self-reflection a priority. 

Here are a few vital pointers to start:

1.  Schedule time in your planner/Day. Do you find that there is never sufficient time for everything? If so, it is probably because you are not scheduling your time effectively. Writing it or scheduling (self-reflection time) down will make you stick with the process and be accountable. This is important for your personal and professional life. While many people think of productivity as it relates to their job, you also want to be productive in your personal development.

2.  Write questions to ask yourself. Keep it simple and real; choose just 3-4 questions to start and depending on how much time you have. The objective is to get you into the flow of writing which will become easier every day. This is a powerful tool for self-reflection, especially when searching for clarity to a specific question.  

3.  Begin by asking how you feel. This pointer will be helpful if you’re moving into reflecting after a tough or emotionally draining day. This is an important point as humans we need to be in a stable state of mind to reflect on any situation thus it’s important to check on how you are feeling.

4. Spend a few moments in silence. Learn to check with yourself daily to reflect on your day, and ask yourself these questions: "Did my opinions, words, and actions align with my purpose?" "Did I act keeping in mind Affection or fear?" "Was I the best that I could be today? If not, how can I respond differently in the future?" 

5.  Be real. If you focus on being real and seeing all sides, you’ll avoid blaming yourself or others dishonestly. The goal is to look for opportunities to improve. The more real you are the better you will be able to measure the situation. We can't improve without allowing ourselves the time to recognize and accept the things about ourselves that we want and need to change. Challenge to explore all parts of yourself and dive deep within! 

6.  Focus on what, why, and how. For example, highlighting a situation where you were upset with a coworker is the “what”, then moving to “why” you reacted, followed by asking “how” you could have handled it differently? Complete the circle, come back to the “what” and question what you will do differently next time.  

7. Begin with small. Schedule your reflection for only 10 minutes in the beginning. Build up a longer duration of time dependent on your day or situation and how much time you need. 

Some examples of questions:

  • What could I have done differently?
  • What did I learn from the experience?
  • Why did I respond the way I responded?
  • Why did it trouble me so much?
  • Am I taking anything for granted?
  • Am I living true to myself?
  • Am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?
  • Am I accomplishing the goals that I set for myself?

I believe that we are all here to accomplish our destinies. Let us all learn to reflect and connect with ourselves every day. So get off the box and self-reflect and build your Aatma Vishwas.