Five Tips on Self-Reflection for Personal Growth

Personal growth can be achieved through self-reflection. As December wraps up, are you considering resolutions for the coming year? Before you resolve to change a habit, take time to engage in self-reflection, which is a valuable tool for personal growth.

How to Use Self-Reflection for Personal Growth

For many people, new year’s resolutions involve some form of self-improvement. We want to lose weight, quit smoking, or start an exercise program. These are all worthwhile goals, but to make the most of the changes you want to create, you should start with some self-reflection.

By definition, self-reflection involves deliberate thinking about your own behavior and beliefs. When you engage in this deliberate kind of thinking, you will develop awareness of your mental and emotional states and awareness of your actions. Developing this awareness is the basis for personal growth (Personal Growth: Flower Where You're Planted).

Five Habits that Enhance Self-Reflection and Personal Growth

• Be honest with yourself. You don’t do yourself any favors if you aren’t 100% honest with yourself about how things are going and how you are behaving.
• Notice behavior patterns. We are all creatures of habit. Some of these habits are helpful and others are not. It’s good to be aware of your habits so you can actively weaken the ones you don’t want and strengthen the ones you do want.
• Be able to articulate your core values. If you don’t know what’s important to you, how can you ever grow and manifest your best self? Take time to consider what’s most important to you so that you can better evaluate whether or not you're living those values.
• Be forgiving. Change is hard and old habits are hard to break. Be gentle with yourself when you don’t get it right. It’s okay. We’re all human. We all make mistakes (The Blame Game and Forgiveness).
• Keep track of your self-reflection. Start a journal where you record your observations and monitor your personal growth. This will help you when looking back at your year to remind yourself of where you’ve been and where you want to go.

Top Five Questions for Self-Reflection

1. What are my values?
2. In what ways do my words and actions reflect or fail to reflect my values?
3. What are areas in which I’m doing well and what are areas in which I could improve?
4. How am I caring for myself so that I am mentally and physically at my best?
5. What have I learned about myself today (this week, this month, this year)?

If you can engage in self-reflection, you will develop insights about yourself and put yourself in a great position for personal growth.

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