My working definition of reflection is taking time to think about where we are in our journeys, how we got there and what is possible for the future. It provides us with the opportunity to not be in motion but at rest. It is also an opportunity to discover what should be the next phase of our journey.

It is a time to design our next reinvention. On the inside is the hard work of reinventing the very essence of who you are. It takes longer and it is something that many don’t do. You get to choose which end of the continuum you want to be nearest. Do you choose to be in motion or in complacency? Why?

Remember that you are writing your own story with your thoughts, actions and inaction. You are the only thing standing in your way. What will it take for you to move and sustain your motion? What is your personal action plan? What are you waiting for? There is a plot waiting for you in the graveyard of complacency should you choose to occupy it. Think about it!

The more successful we become the more our story reinforces the behavior that created the success. Why would you question your practices if they produced the results you sought? The real questions become “Are you as effective as you could be? What is possible?” The answer is likely that you don’t know. This provides a reason to revel in our success while also thinking about what could bring even greater success. This does not mean that you have to actively pursue greater success. It means that you should understand what will be necessary to maintain your current level of success.

The world around us is in a constant state of motion. This motion inadvertently is making old practices obsolete. The challenge we face is anticipating what will continue to make us viable assets in a changing market. This is where we have to make reflection work for us and not against us. Looking inward without a context of what is going on around us is self-defeating. We should go inward in order to be more effective in mapping our journey in a world that is ever-changing. In a global environment this is essential. Otherwise we will find ourselves with jobs in dying industries that have been dying before our eyes for years but we react as though it started only yesterday. We find ourselves ill prepared to adapt.

We claim victim when we should have claimed action.