“R” is for Review and Reflect

The first step in the RELAX Leadership Formula

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Being a relaxed leader takes more than putting your hands behind your head and your feet up on your desk. In fact, you can become a relaxed leader and never actually strike that pose at all. So let’s spend a little time talking about the building blocks you need in order to relax.

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you won’t be surprised that those building blocks spell out the word RELAX – and the first letter is something you need to start doing right now: Review and Reflect.

First, let’s talk about what the process is NOT.

The process of reviewing and reflecting is not about obsessing over things from the past that you can’t change. I try not to dwell on the past because, like most people, I’ve made plenty of mistakes. And even though I’m generally a good person, I’ve still said and done things I regret. I’ve already tried to repair any damage I may have done, so there’s no reason for me to continue beating myself up over those past poor choices.

Similarly, I try not to waste too much time “should-ing” all over myself either. You know what I mean. You finish a difficult conversation and spend the next few hours thinking, “I should’ve done this” or “I should’ve said that!” It’s easy to create the perfect comeback or awesome argument after the moment has passed, so unless the conversation is going to continue later, I try not to dwell on it.

When we dwell on the past, we tend to dwell in the past. Relaxed leaders don’ do that because it’s hard to move forward when you’re always looking backward.

Is there a perfect system for you?

There are countless ways to review and reflect, and I can think of at least a dozen people who make their living selling their “perfect system” and then teaching people how to use it. And I’ll admit that I’ve bought plenty of books, ebooks, and online courses with the hope of finding the approach that would be the best for me.

After spending hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours, here’s my conclusion: The perfect system for you doesn't exist... until you create it.

In the coming months, I’ll share more of my system with you but for now, let’s stick to the fundamentals, shall we? No matter how you do it, keep in mind that reviewing and reflecting is focused on three key things: planning, executing, and learning.

Focus on planning, executing, and learning.

Planning is critical to growth and progress because we need to know where we’re headed. Whether you’re considering your long-term vision or short-term goals, it’s important to use a review and reflect process that always accounts for them and keeps them top of mind as you’re charting your course or even juggling priorities.

Executing your plan and completing your tasks is aided by reviewing and reflecting because it’s your way of maintaining the proper focus and ensuring you’ve spent your time wisely. For example, upon reflection I’ve determined that what I thought was a good use of my time wasn’t delivering the results I needed. Had I completed the task? Yes. But crossing something off my to-do list doesn’t make it the best use of my time.

Learning from what you’re doing and experiencing can happen without any specific focus on your part but it’s generally a slow and painful process. But with purposeful review and reflection, clear and helpful lessons can be gleaned quickly. Consider it a force multiplier because the return on the time you invest in the process can improve your results exponentially.

Review and reflect consistently and frequently.

Don’t worry about finding the perfect process to review and reflect.

Don’t spend anymore time than it takes to finish reading this article.

You don’t need an intricate system or fancy software or an online course in order to get started. You just need to begin.

Start by reviewing your vision and your long-term goals. Are they clear in your mind? Have you been making progress towards them? Why or why not?

(Okay – so if you don’t have a clear vision, then it’s probably worth your time to just follow the process I spell out in Create Your Personal Vision Part 1 and Part 2.)

You don’t need an intricate system or fancy software or an online course in order to get started. You just need to begin.

Now focus on what you’ve done in the past month toward meeting your goals. What has gone well? Where have you gotten off track? Whether your results have been good, bad, or somewhere in between, it’s always important to ask why.

Finally, focus on the month ahead. What do you need to do to move you closer to your long-term goals and your overall vision? Determine what you should reasonably accomplish in the coming month, and then break it down into tasks by week.

Write everything down. Review it at least weekly, though daily is better. Reflect on how you’re doing – what’s going well and where you’re struggling – and make adjustments if you need to.

Worry about a process later.

Don’t worry about having a detailed process at this point. Simply take the time to review and reflect. Focus on planning, executing, and learning. Make improvements as you go. Rinse. Repeat.

Once reviewing and reflecting has become part of your regular routine, then you can start working on a more defined process that’s suits you and best meets your needs. And if you start reviewing and reflecting now, then you’ll be ready to think about specific techniques in a few months when I explain my exact process and help you improve yours.

Until then, just start reviewing and reflecting in order to plan, execute, and learn!