I’ve always said this personal growth is not accidental; it’s intentional. To continue walking the path of personal growth and development, we must intentionally pause, reflect on our actions, and re-align our way forward. Taking time for self-reflection can improve our chances of achieving our goals, make us happier, more purposeful and productive, and less burned out. If you’re curious about where to start your journey of self-reflection, in this episode, I’ll share 10 timeless questions to reflect on to accelerate your personal growth.
We spend an awful amount of time planning for the future but very little time reviewing and measuring how far we’ve come along. And Seneca, the Roman philosopher and ruler, says that makes us evil. He says, “I will keep constant watch over myself and — most usefully — will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil — that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.”
To consciously and deliberately move forward in life, it’s important we reflect on our own lives and then plan for what we must do. And self-reflection is not just about going over the things that happened and the interactions at a superficial level.
To gain more value through reflection, we must go deeper and consciously consider how our beliefs translated into actions in the last many weeks. Observing our experiences and being curious about how we could better navigate certain things to live a life that’s more aligned to our beliefs and value systems.
Here are 10 timeless questions you can reflect on to accelerate your personal growth:
- When you look back at your life on your deathbed, what would be the highlight reels you hope to see?
- How many incredible days do I have in a week/month/year?
- Do I do enough of what makes me come alive?
- How can I do less of what drains me physically/mentally/emotionally?
- How much % of my time do I invest in taking care of the hygiene – my health, finances, and relationships?
- What am I avoiding in my life right now?
- Am I living my philosophy or values in life?
- Where do I need to let go of – things or people?
- What limiting beliefs are holding me back from pursuing what my heart desires? Are they true?
- What am I putting off to a later date that I can start today?
Self-reflection doesn’t have to be a strict process of demanding answers from yourself to ensure progress in life. It can be a gentle, fun, and compassionate introspection exercise to learn more about your motivators and drivers and identify ways to use your strengths better to achieve what you desire most.
Take time to deep dive, reflect on these questions time and again and have fun exploring.
This is Shwetha Sivaraman signing off until we meet again, hoping you have a fabulous week ahead.