One of the reasons that I love Fridays is the sense that another week has passed and there are the endless possibilities that a lovely free weekend can bring. I always like to use a Friday to do a ‘review of the week’. You know the sort of thing;
- What have been the high points?
- Any low points?
- And most importantly; what can I take from all of this?
Taking time to review and take stock is a great discipline whether you’re managing a team or project and you need to just gather your thoughts on how things have progressed. Or, you’re making some personal changes and you want to take stock of the distance that you’ve travelled.
Reflection and review is such an important part of the learning cycle. It’s an amazing opportunity do a high five on the things that have gone well. To give praise or a pat on the back for a great achievement. And it’s also a chance to spot what could be improved upon. What would I do differently? What could have been better?
I always leave time in a piece of coaching work, to review things at the end. It’s closing the loop and eeking out all of the value, before we move onto the next thing.
So often we’re jumping from one thing to the next. There can feel like there isn’t time to STOP – DRAW BREATH – and TAKE STOCK. But it’s the critical punctuation of our lives that enables us to break unhelpful patterns or which enables us to uncover new possibilities.
When and how could you give yourself the time that you need to review, reflect and move forward? What would be the value to you of taking a few minutes to look back, before you jump head long into something else?