Observation and Reflection
“The difference between those who do it and those who don’t do it is that, those who do it, do it.” - John Maxwell
Implementation is crucial to your growth. The ability to get your butt in gear and just do it, can often separate the men from the boys so to speak. They say consistency is key, but I also like to add that it is intentionality that unlocks the door! What good is a a key if you don’t know how to use it? This is where observation and reflection come in.
Reflection is a type of stillness we enter AFTER performing a task in order to mentally replay, review and reflect on what happened. In reflection, it is good to ask yourself questions like…
What did I do right?
What did I do wrong?
What can I do better next time?
If you are intentional about growth or better performance in a particular area, reflection is an essential practice in that journey. It’s a form of self-critique. If you never reflect on and critique your performance, whether it be in a sport, work, art, cooking or even just conversation, it will be difficult to gain the footing for growth.
While reflection is a type of stillness AFTER performing a task, observation is a type of stillness DURING a task that allows us to focus in on and observe what is happening in real time.
It requires intention, effort and curiosity to reflect after a task, but with a simple prompt to do so, I think most people have the ability to reflect at least somewhat effectively. Depending on what you are performing, observation can be a quite a bit more challenging. In jiu-jitsu for instance, being able to create enough stillness to observe what’s happening while someone is trying to choke you requires a lot of self-control. It’s not easy to stay calm, breath and observe what’s going on in the heat of battle! Same thing may apply in a heated conversation, emergency situation or any form of intense activity. Observation requires self-awareness, self-control and even skill.
I see reflection as a level 1 practice and observation as a level 2. While it very useful to look back and reflect on a situation so that you can approach it better next time, it is of even more value to be able to do that in a live situation so that you can make those adjustments on the fly.
How many times have you reflected on a conversation and wished you could have said the things then, that you just thought of now! I know I have!
Through the intentional practice of reflection you will become more and more aware in live scenarios to begin observing and making adjustments as needed. This can be a life-savor and a growth accelerator!
One last thought to consider is the ability to reflect and observe the external as well as the internal. External reflection and observation has more to do with what is actually going on or what happened, while internal reflection and observation has more to do with how felt or are feeling in the process. While it may be spot on, sometimes what you’re feeling doesn’t always match with what is actually happening. It’s important we learn the practice of both so we can gain a full understanding of the situation in order to grow effectively.