The Art of Reflective Practice

"You don't learn from experiences, you learn from reflecting on them" - Subir Mukherjee, AKA Dad :)

If you are a leader who is responsible for setting the vision for your team/department/organization your effectiveness lies on how productively you manage yourself and your thought processes, especially in the midst of the daily whirlwind that is work.

Uninterrupted thinking feels like a luxury, and effort to schedule. But it also allows for the most creative ideas to emerge. Making regular time to reflect on events has helped me grow into a better agile thinker when I need to react to new events instantly.

After a bit of a struggle, I finally found my sweet spot - my morning ritual of Yoga, meditation and my first cup of coffee staring at whatever painting I have in progress at the time, occasionally I add a few strokes before i jump into the daily hustle of work.

Here's what helped me get to this rhythm, hoping some of you find it helpful too.

1. Schedule It! Being spontaneous sounds good on paper, but never happens.
2. Pair thinking with something you already do. I combined it with my morning routine of yoga and coffee.
3. Disconnect from technology completely!
4. Start small, may be 10-15 mins and slowly creep in more time.

This simple routine has helped me be in control of what I pay attention to, how I perceive them and what I choose to do about it