How Asking These 7 Powerful Evening Reflection Questions Increases Productivity

Evening reflection questions are powerful because they calm and center you in the present.  They teach you about yourself, bring self-awareness to what you accomplished today, how you lived your truth, and the lessons you learned.  And you don’t want to miss this next part.  Taking time each day to ask yourself evening reflection questions will increase your productivity the next day.

The answers to these questions can be both empowering and scary.  Yes, you can feel empowered and scared at the same time—and that’s a good thing.   The interesting thing about asking these evening reflection questions is that only you know the answers to them.  No matter how many books you read, talk shows you watch, or questions, you ask your friends—only you have the answers.

Evening Reflection Questions and the Subconscious Mind

When you take the time to ask these evening reflection questions, you choose to access your subconscious mind.  The subconscious mind helps to activate your goals and motivate you to accomplish them.  According to Psychology Today, the subconscious mind is “the source of creativity, intuition, inspiration, inner knowing, interconnectedness, and spiritual enlightenment.”   

Make Evening Reflection Questions a Habit

I try to wind down my day by making a habit of asking myself these evening reflection questions every day.  Yes, there are times when I get too busy or feel overwhelmed and exhausted to do them.  But guess what?  The times when I didn’t do them were the times that I needed to ask them the most.

I like to answer reflection questions in bed at night.  The questions are on a page in my journal, and I write them out every time.  However, you may find that the best time for you may be at the office at the end of the day.  In fact, that can be a powerful way to bring closure to your workday.   When on vacation or traveling for business, I have also enjoyed doing them at the pool/beach, coffee shop, train, and plane.  The bottom line is to get it done.  And, although I have the questions written in my journal, I also have them on:

• My phone and tablet
• A notecard in my office drawer
• A piece of paper taped inside my medicine cabinet

So, let’s get to those evening reflection questions! I have seven evening reflection questions. However, on most days, I answer three or four, but I always try to answer all of them by the end of the week.

How Did My Emotions/Feelings Work Against Me?

Now, I must admit that this is one of the hardest evening reflection questions.  However, our emotions are our biggest drivers, whether good or bad.  Some of the emotions and feelings that work against us, especially in a work environment are:

• Anger
• Jealousy, envy
• Fear
• Anxiety
• Impatience
• Feeling overwhelmed, underappreciated, etc.

Examples:

1. My emotions/feelings worked against me when I was anxious about not meeting my deadlines. 
2. I was afraid of being rejected so I did not make those phone calls to potential clients.

What Was My “Biggest” Win?

Your “biggest” win will vary each day.  On some days, you will accomplish a major goal and check everything off of your to-do list.  And, on other days you will have to dig deep to identify something that counts as a win. 

Examples:

• Cleared out my email inbox
• Showed up for the meeting
• Finished the report
• Didn’t curse anyone out
• Packed my lunch
• Went to the gym after work

What Was My Biggest Area of Resistance?

Facing resistance and calling it by name is a powerful way to tell yourself the truth.  Fundamentally, we understand that we are resistant to change.  We love being in our comfort zone.  However, on a soul level, my resistance means that I am either afraid of taking my game to the next level (i.e. succeed) or afraid of failure.  For many of us, we resist by procrastinating.

 Examples:

• Keeping busy but not being productive
• Checking email obsessively
• Scrolling mindlessly through social media
• Playing video games
• Watching TV for several hours

Where Am I Stuck or Not Making Progress?

It’s important to be specific about where you’re stuck or not making progress.  Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions:

• Are there tasks on your to-do list that have been there for several weeks? 
• Do you have writer’s block?
• Are you constantly being overlooked for promotions?
• Do your ideas keep getting rejected?
• Is it time to apply for a new position?

Examples:

1. I am stuck with coming up with new ideas for my blog
2. My professional network needs to expand
3. I am not making progress in building partnerships
4. My salary has not changed significantly in the last two years

What Am I Grateful For?

I think that this is one of the most underrated evening reflection questions.  If you’re melancholy or pessimistic, you may have a hard time seeing the importance of expressing gratitude.  However, in two previous blog posts, I outlined the power of expressing gratitude for love, joy, and success as well as several benefits of journal writing. 

When you take the time to intentionally express gratitude, you acknowledge that life is good.  Yes, life is hard and difficult at times.  However, gratitude creates a shift in your perspective.  There is always goodness all around us if we intentionally look for it.   And, regularly writing down the people and things for whom and which you are grateful will transform you and open your life to amazing opportunities for love, joy, and success.

Examples:

1. I am grateful for having a job in this tough economy
2. My sister and her husband paid our mortgage this month
3. I have enough money saved for the next three months
4. My new supervisor is a good listener
5. Two of my friends checked on me every day when my mom died
6. I had extra rolls of toilet paper and hand sanitizer to share with a neighbor (pandemic living)

In What Ways Did I Dishonor My Body?

You cannot be as successful and productive as you can be if you regularly dishonor your body.  Sure, you may be more productive than your colleagues and you may be at the top of your game.  However, did you trash and dishonor your body to get there?  If the answer is yes, then make plans to take action.

Examples:

• Not getting enough sleep
• Skipping meals
• Not drinking enough water
• Eating too much sugar and junk food
• Drinking too much coffee
• Not getting enough exercise
• Speaking unkindly to yourself
• Not taking your medication
• Ignoring signs of stress
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Watching too much TV
• Playing too many video games
• Not taking a day of rest

What Lesson(s) Did I Learn?

The ultimate purpose of answering these evening reflection questions is to understand yourself and the lessons you need to learn.  And, you learn new lessons every day if you take the time to ask difficult questions and give honest answers. Remember, you are having a conversation with yourself each evening.  This is always an opportunity for personal growth and when you fall short, you need to forgive yourself.

Examples:

1. I have a good support group of people who love and care for me
2. I need to ask myself hard questions daily
3. There are lots of free resources that are available to me
4. It’s important to celebrate the small and big wins
5. I need to finish the day strong and not erase the gains of the day
6. Walking clears my head
7. It is OK to be scared but not to let it cripple me
8. Going to bed by 10 pm is a must
9. I complain too much and need to express more gratitude  

Now, It’s Your Turn

So, I hope that you adopt the practice of using some of these evening reflection questions to go deeper and gain insights into increasing your productivity.  It might seem like it’s a lot to think about, but you do not have to write pages and pages.  In fact, I often answer with short bullets. 

The most important thing that you need to get started is a desire to go deeper and a few minutes a day.  So, set aside 15 to 20 minutes in the evening to answer a few or all 7 questions.   And remember, you don’t need to buy a fancy journal to get started.  You can use a notebook, sticky notes, or phone.  Just get started!

I think that you will enjoy these posts on 10 morning rituals to make you more productive and gratitude journal writing for love, joy, and success.

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