As another year of growth draws to a close, October is a really good time to pause and take a breath. To gather up what we’ve learned, let go of what’s ready to move on, and look ahead to possibilities.
The busyness of this work season can crowd out the chance for reflection which can leave us a bit discombobulated!
So this exercise helps carve out time for reflection on learning, letting go, and looking ahead. Or, noticing the fruits, leaves and seeds of the work year.
To start…
- This reflection exercise shares some questions, please answer them in a way that works for you and pause or stop whenever you need to
- Take a moment to figure out how you’d like to approach this: Would you prefer to think, write or type your responses?
- As you notice more, what does your body need before you start?
Fruits – learning from the year
- What stands out to you from the year so far?
- What from the year are you most proud of? What are you learning from this?
- What’s been harder this year, and what are you learning from this?
- Of what you’ve learned, what would you like to take with you into the next cycle?
- What would taking this with you look like?
Leaves – letting go
- What’s feeling heavy at work at the moment?
- What do you feel ready to let go of?
- What would support you to do this?
Seeds – possibilities for the next cycle
- What hopes do you have for the next season of work life?
- What ideas do you have for the next season of work life?
- What needs do you have for the next season of work life?
- What feels good about these hopes, ideas and needs?
To close
- What has stood out most from your reflections?
- What’s the most important thing that has emerged?
- What do you want to do to close this reflection time well?
I hope you found this reflection exercise useful. I always welcome hearing your experiences and feedback, so feel free to get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to share.
