Self-Reflection Before Improvement – I Reflect, Therefore, I Am
Written by: Tatjana Gaspar, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I love self-reflection! Do you? Reflection means mirroring, pondering, remembering, and taking a critical look at our own behavior and actions with the aim of finding out more about ourselves and what we could do differently or more effectively. In doing so, we position ourselves not only as individuals; but as part of a system, e.g., our family or team, and look at our own behavior from a virtual distance.
It is easier to reflect on oneself as part of a network of relationships than in a detached and abstract way when we ask the following questions:
What was the situation? Who was involved?
How did they behave?
How did I behave?
Did my behavior lead to a productive outcome for myself and others or not?
What could I have done differently and how might my behavior then have affected the situation? What attitude of mine shall I try and change from now on? etc.
Self-reflection is essential when there is tension in one of our systems or when we must perform in a competitive environment with projects and deadlines. Both situations will occur again and again.
We like to convince ourselves that we are doing everything right and with the best intentions. But what exactly does that mean? For whom is it right? And best intentions are never a guarantee for happiness and success. They are merely an argument to avoid debate when things go sideways.
Self-reflection demands of us complete honesty and openness to alternative options. We do not ask what we expect from others, but what we expect from ourselves. When we know that we can’t change others, the only way to impact a situation is to change our own behavior.
Self-reflection is the prerequisite of every change process. It is also the beginning of a journey of discovery inside of us with unforeseen dimensions and full of surprises. As we never quite know in advance what we might discover, this journey should be one of kindness, esteem, and constructive criticism. Then and only then, we can aspire to make our self-reflection a true instrument of improvement.
Tatjana Gaspar, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tatjana Gaspar is a certified Systemic Coach and Online Trainer who uses methods that focus on the clients’ individual goals, thus aiming at improving their business or life situation. She is also the CEO of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland, where she organizes events, hosts webinars and is responsible for operational and financial issues. Before coaching, she spent 20 years in international wealth management and leadership positions with different banks in Zurich. Initially, Tatjana obtained a Degree in Hispanic and Russian Literature and History from the University of Geneva. She is a firm believer in life-long learning and fluent in seven languages.
