I was trapped in a brutal cycle of late bedtimes, late wake-ups, and late-afternoon coffee that kept me wired until midnight. The result? I dreaded mornings and everything I needed to accomplish in them.
Today, I can wake up naturally before 7am and actually enjoy tackling challenging work first thing. The difference? A self reflection practice that helped me see the real problem and test my way to a solution.
But let me back up, because when I talk about reflection, I still get those glazed looks. I can almost hear the unsaid thought: “Must be nice to spend three hours on the weekend just to navel-gaze.”
I get it. From the outside, it might look like I’m just sitting around, lost in my thoughts.
But that’s not what’s really happening.
My Secret Lab
For much of my life, I’ve designed little experiments and routines for myself. I try new approaches to my work, my health, my relationships. But what’s the point of all that trying if I don’t know if it’s actually serving me? If it’s pushing me forward, or just keeping me busy?
This is where my reflection practice comes in. It’s not a luxury; it’s my essential testing ground.
I think of it like this: an athlete trains hard all week. They diligently do their sprints, strength work, and skill drills. But they wouldn’t truly know if that training is paying off without a Sunday long run, or a mock competition. That’s where they measure whether the effort during the week translates into faster times, more endurance, or better performance.
My reflection time is exactly that for my life. It’s when I put my weekly (or monthly) experiments to the test.
Beyond Just Thinking
Take that sleep cycle I mentioned. Through my weekly reflections, I noticed a pattern: every day I felt sluggish and resentful in the mornings, which made me push important tasks to later in the day, which made me stay up later to finish them, which made me need that afternoon coffee hit, which kept me up late again.
But seeing the pattern wasn’t enough. I needed to experiment my way out.
Here’s what I did.
I designed a points system where I earned rewards for a proper wind-down routine. Winding down by 9pm, yoga instead of scrolling, journaling instead of peeking at social media notifications and meditation instead of watching recommended reel after the next.
But here’s the key: I could “spend” those points on things I wanted to do in the morning, rather than forcing myself to tackle uncomfortable but important work first thing.
The result? In just over a week, everything shifted earlier. And surprisingly, I started actually enjoying that challenging morning work because I was well-rested. By that time, the points system didn’t matter and I started finding intrinsic motivation in those challenging morning tasks that would usually keep me in bed and under the covers.
Without my reflection practice tracking this experiment, I would have just hoped it worked. Instead, I had data showing me it was transforming not just my sleep, but my relationship with my entire day.
Getting Started (Even If You Have No Time)
Here’s the thing: you don’t need three hours to start seeing results. If you’re thinking “this sounds great but I barely have time to breathe,” try this:
Every Sunday morning while your coffee is brewing, spend 15 minutes asking yourself two questions:
– What filled my battery this week?
– What drained my battery?
Jot down just a few words for each. At the end of the month, review your four entries. I guarantee you’ll spot patterns you hadn’t noticed day-to-day.
This simple practice is like having a monthly performance review with yourself. Instead of hoping your changes work, you’re building evidence of what actually moves the needle in your life.
The Real Magic
I’m moving forward not just with intention, but with validated insight. My reflection practice isn’t navel-gazing; it’s the difference between wandering hopefully and walking with a proven map grounded by my own experience.
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