Taking Time to Reflect

Audio Version

How did this year go for you? Where are you consistent? Were you intentional in your leadership? What are some of the things you could have done better? The list of questions can go on and on, but I encourage you to take the time to reflect on your accomplishments and failures throughout this year and think about: 1) how you have grown from those experiences; and/or 2) how you still might be in the process of growing from them. Brian Tracy stated in his book entitled Change Your Thinking Change Your Life (2003), “Every experience is a positive experience if I view it as an opportunity for growth and self-mastery." I hope you feel this way about your experiences this year—that each experience is helping to shape and grow you into a person who will lead more intentionally and consistently as you prepare to finish out this year and go into the next. 

There’s something about reflection that complements and initiates growth. Taking the time to think, journal, and talk with colleagues, friends, coaches, peers, family members, etc., about what has happened, to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of your journey and propel you towards better decisions, better processes, and better results, is worth it. Sometimes we just have to look in the mirror to see what we would never see if we did not stand in front of it. Have you ever stood in front of a mirror and seen something you didn't know was on your face or your clothes? I have, and when this happens to me, I feel a little embarrassed and frustrated because I just encountered reality after passing up several people who failed to let me know I needed to make an adjustment. Occasionally, someone will let you know that something needs adjusting on your clothes or removed from your face, and for those who have done this, thank you! So when you or I are standing in the mirror looking at our reflection, and we see something that needs to be adjusted, do we adjust it, or do we tell ourselves, "It's fine, it can stay?" If you are like me, you make the necessary adjustments, and it is done immediately.

This should be the same process and mindset we have when we intentionally take time to reflect. Blind spots and adjustments are revealed through our process of reflecting individually and with others. I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on this year, this past month, this past week, yesterday, and make the necessary adjustments to strengthen and increase your influence in the lives of the people you serve.

Application:

1. Journal: I have found that writing allows me to gather my thoughts and strengthen my ideas. When I write, information and ideas come back to my memory as I have this conversation with myself on paper. Our brains are an amazing database, and writing can unlock the information and experiences that have been buried by the new content it has received. So, why not, for the purpose of reflecting, journal to gather your thoughts and process them? And guess what? Sometimes the very thing we need to reflect on is revealed to us as we sit down and write (kind of like looking in the mirror).
2. Talk to Others: No, I do not recommend talking to just anyone to reflect, but I know you should have some people in your life you feel safe to look in the mirror with. For me, these have been coaches, friends, family members, parishioners, people I trust and know have my best interest at heart. I appreciate the individuals who have taken the time to allow me to reflect with them. Dr. Beckley, Dr. Funchess, my admin team (Dr. Jackson, Ms. Jinks, Mr. Escamilla, and Mr. Ezpelta), Mr. Chavez, Mr. Calles, Chief Paulino, Dr. Kay, Dr. Amerson, Da'Meion, Junior, Dave, Joye, Helen, Vincent (my son), Cheyenne (my daughter), and Christal (my wife). There are others I could name, so forgive me if I did not state your name, but I appreciate each and every one of you for the time this year you have allowed me to reflect through your mirror of experience in life and with me. Whether we spoke once, twice, or many times, the opportunities I have had to reflect with you have been invaluable and a true testament of your servant leadership, friendship, and love. I hope everyone reading and/or listening to this blog has some people to reflect with to help you be and become who you are supposed to be.
3. Take it Seriously: Do not gloss over the process of reflection and take it for granted. In my field of work, one of the teaching standards used in evaluations is "Developing as a Professional Educator." The first subdomain in that standard is "Reflecting on teaching practice in support of student learning." If the subdomains within standards are written in order of importance, then reflecting is at the top of the list of development. Therefore, if you want to grow in your leadership within your career, community, and/or home, the process of reflecting should be taken seriously. We should not reflect just to reflect, but we should learn and grow from reflecting.

Conclusion:

I encourage you to take time to reflect on your accomplishments and your failures throughout this year. May we not get discouraged by our failure, but remember that each experience can help us grow. Let’s look in the mirror with confidence to make the adjustments needed to strengthen and increase our influence. Thank you all for taking this journey of growth with me and allowing me to share my thoughts through this blog this year. May we continue learning and growing to become the people, the leaders, we are supposed to be as we take time to reflect.

Additional Comments:

I want to hear from you. Please post your comments and suggestions in the comments section on this page. Thank you for reading or listening to this blog post. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year. Stay tuned for the next blog, scheduled to be posted during the week of Monday, January 5, 2026.