Category: The Power Of Reflection

The interesting thing about writing every day is that it makes you more keenly aware of how interesting or mundane your day-to-day thinking is.

When I don’t have something immediately saved in my mind to write about, I’ll rotate my computer chair 90 degrees, kick up my feet onto the adjacent couch, peer out the large window my dog uses as a TV screen, and let my mind wander for ideas.

It’s in those moments that I’ll notice something unique that springs forward or, on the other end of the spectrum, a mundanity that’s lingered for longer than its anticipated stay.

And it’s in those moments that I try and either capture those unique moments so as to better understand them (so I can keep moving my life in the direction of those ideas) or adjust my life strategy so as to flush out those redundant, dull thoughts and pump in new, raw experiences for my mind to freshly chew on.

Without these moments of daily reflection, I can see how easy it would be for me to get lost in the daily hustle and bustle and not even realize how mundane/repetitive my daily experience might be. Leaving me so consumed with daily tasks that I have no time to steer my life’s ship.

…And I fear there’s quite a few people out there who are so zoomed in on their busyness that they’ve forgotten to check on the steering wheel of their ship. If that’s you, take this as your reminder to kick up your feet and stare out the window for a while… it’s more important than you might think.

One of the beautiful things about writing daily what’s on your mind is that when you’re asked to share what’s on your mind—either in general or in regards to specific topics—the work is already done.

There’s no need to delay, no need to beat around the bush, no need to answer generically or mumbly or complicatedly so as to buy yourself some time to think…

Your thinking space has already been honored. The editing of your thinking via written word has already distilled your key thoughts. And the rest of it—the crap thinking—you’ve already released and has already begun to sink towards the bottom of your mind’s floor.

And because of it… you’re more ready to capitalize on potential opportunities.

…You’re more ready to make a good impression when you didn’t even know you were going to have to make one.

…You’re more ready to express yourself properly when you meet someone special—because you just never know when that might happen.

Because the last thing you want—when any of those moments arrive—is to feel like there’s a lot of work yet that needs to be done or like a delay needs to be made.

Writing daily is thinking done.

And thinking done is an excellent strategy for getting ahead in life.

I found myself feeling really inspired by this apparent journal entry that I stumbled upon on Pinterest this morning:

…And not even because of anything written (although the “note to self” piece is pretty damn good)—but, because of the effort and aesthetic and how… human it is.

And the thought that immediately popped to mind when I saw it was… imagine journaling like this every day of your life…

Imagine the memories you’d have lifetime access to…

Imagine the feelings you’d be able to not only process faster, but get to revisit and reflect on…

Imagine the legacy of life you’d get to leave behind for those who come after…

The reality is… eventually… all of our memories will fade to black.

And only the ripples of our actions will survive.

A journal not only helps us understand our ripples by helping us understand ourselves (so we can deliberately create better or more aligned ripples)… but it leaves behind a small light for other people to find…

…A light into the mind, memories, and inner workings of a fellow life traveler.

…Where there otherwise would’ve only been black.

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P.s. If you like picture quotes, I curate and publish fresh finds each day on MoveMe Quotes here and Pinterest here.

Today, I published 50 of the Most Impactful Lessons I Learned From 2023. Below are seven of my favorites—my 1-minute version if you will. Enjoy :)

1. Making your future goals actionable today is how you prove to yourself that you’re serious about them. Not doing anything about them in the present means they’re still fantasies.

2. There is no easy-only option… only hard now and compounded hard later. Remember this when you’re on the fence about exercising, meditating, writing, being honest, doing inner work, etc.

3. Thumb taps and mouse clicks drastically change lives. Be ruthless in how you curate the media that you allow to reach your eyes and ears. Do NOT underestimate your role in this.

4. Pay yourself in time/energy/attention FIRST. Then, when full, give extra or what you have left over to others. You will never be able to give others enough of your time/energy/attention — they’ll always gladly demand and accept more.

5. What gets measured, gets managed. And what gets managed gets your time. And what gets your time… gets your life. Measure the moments that make you feel alive; time spent with loved ones; the depth of your self-understanding… Measure what really matters.

6. Solitude is a necessary ingredient for great work. And if you’re serious about wanting to produce great work, then get serious about prioritizing solitude into your days.

7. The inner work we choose to avoid becomes the outer suffering we can’t seem to escape. As hard as it might seem upfront, it’s the easiest it’ll ever be to confront right then and there. The things we carry with us only get heavier the longer we carry them.

…Read the rest here.

Create space in your life for careful reflection.

Without it, you’re choosing ignorance to some of your life’s wisest council.

Which, doesn’t come from more YouTube videos, self-help books, deep dive podcasts, informational websites, or conversations with experts—per se.

It comes from your innermost wisdom that whispers advice pulled from EVERYTHING you’ve experienced/ learned/ consumed (informationally) throughout the course of your entire life.

Your innermost wisdom taps into the ocean of information that’s stored in your unconscious that’s just waiting to be explored and utilized. Another video, book, podcast, website, conversation is merely another drop or two into that ocean.

…Which isn’t to downplay the importance of consuming high-quality content.

It’s merely to emphasize the importance of turning off all of the inputs that are constantly pouring more content in, digesting the content you’ve already consumed, and giving your innermost wisdom a platform to finally communicate (which, worth mentioning, doesn’t always come in words… some of it comes in the form of symbols, metaphors, and stories that need interpreting… more on that here).

What does space for careful reflection look like?

• Journaling
• Walking
• Hiking
• Showering
• Driving
• Meditating
• Sitting and thinking

…Whatever you want it to look like, honestly. So long as it’s (1) undisrupted by any additional incoming information and (2) deliberately focused on reflection.

With those two elements in tact—consider yourself back in contact with your life’s wisest council.

All you need to consider now is how much time can you devote to its insight?

Because zero time daily is you choosing to be ignorant.

…And nobody is so busy that ignorance is their only choice.

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P.s. Related: Everyone Who Says You Should Never Look Back Is Wrong.