In April I started an experiment. I knew that reflection was a useful thing to do. It is part of the reason coaching works. Having time to reflect on what is important, what is working and what you need to change is helpful. Otherwise, one day can fade into the next and before you know it another week, month or year is gone.
The experiment involved getting a group of people together who would take time out of their busy calendars every Monday morning to look back over the previous week and look forward to the next, prompted by some reflection questions. Once a month we focus on the whole month for an hour and the rest of the time we focus on a week for 45 mins.
Almost in the words of Tina Turner, "What's the lamb got to do with it?" you may ask. Well, the lamb looks quite empathetic so I used the image to prompt everyone to think about the answer to "How are you really?" at the start of each session. It helps to stop and notice how you feel as you start the week and become aware of what you need to change or continue. We focus on being as well as doing. The lamb has proved very popular and is now a much loved mascot.
I've found Reflection Room to be more impactful than I'd hoped for. You can read more about my reflections on what I gained from the first 7 weeks here. I know it can feel like a big time commitment but I found the space and value it brings significantly outweighs the cost. I asked participants anonymously to give their views. All said they would recommend it for these reasons:
"Good to make yourself make designated space for this; to acknowledge past successes and focus on desires for the future"
"It provides valuable time out that I would not necessarily make otherwise. It is a great way to do it, in a safe space and people are free to share as much or as little as they want."
"Without a prompt, it's hard to take the time to think. The time is well structured and I've never regretted giving the time"
"Supportive atmosphere, the structure provided (ie looking back and looking forward), varied content each week, and informal, friendly, vibe."
If you would value time to reflect every Monday morning and be more intentional about what you are doing and how you are being, the next season of Reflection Room starts on 18th July. The commitment is £90 (£75 +VAT) for 9 weeks. You can register here.