As you move forward into the new year, looking back and acknowledging how far you've come is critical. Reflection allows you to learn from past mistakes, celebrate your achievements, and prepare for the future.

Self-reflection has many benefits for both your personal and professional life, including:

Purpose. Through thoughtful reflection, you can begin to see your evolution. For example, once you achieve a goal, you can reflect on the path you took and the progress you made along the way. It can give you a sense of purpose as you look toward new goals with renewed optimism.

Learning. Every experience in your life is a learning opportunity. And when you make mistakes, reflecting on why helps you identify what went wrong so you can make different choices in the future. You can't learn and grow without reflection.

Improvement. Reflection provides time to consider where you are now and how you can get to where you want to be. What do you need to do to achieve your next goal? By reflecting on this question, you can identify ways to improve.

Celebration. Do you take the time to celebrate your successes, or are you immediately thinking about your next goal? Reflection allows you to give yourself kudos for your accomplishments, providing much-needed motivation to keep working hard on your endeavors.

If you've never spent time reflecting before, there are different ways you can start. Make it a consistent practice by setting aside time each week for reflection. For example, on Friday afternoons, you might look back over the past week and reflect on what went well and what you could improve. During this time, journal or write down the goals you want to achieve and the steps you've taken to work toward them. Identify any actions or tasks to complete the following week to keep making progress.

Reflection can be uncomfortable at first, but it's a key part of planning for your future. Make time for reflection so you can enjoy the benefits of this practice as you work toward your goals.

Sources: Telfer.uottawa.ca, HBR.org, Forbes.com