Category : Articles

Sub Category : Self Help

It is a well known fact that people learn from their mistakes; don't they? Well maybe when we were small children, but due to lack of time in our busy lives we don't get the chance to reflect on our mistakes and successes of the day, and so no learning occurs.
 We all know that Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. We find it easy to critique others but we fail to acknowledge our own mishaps.  Without reflecting on our own mistakes we do not learn from them, and so we continue to make the same mistakes and it takes a whole lot longer for us to improve. So if you think about it; we are all insane.

Even when we do reflect, we tend to only think in black and white. We think “what” and “when” and “how”, but we forget to ask “why?” .Scientist  Jo Ayoubi  reports “without the process of actively thinking about those experiences, and questioning ourselves about what they mean, learning doesn’t really happen”.  It is next to useless to state the obvious; you have to think about what that means to you personally. Don’t be afraid, nobody is going to read your mind.
So what can you do about this? Well, there is always the good old fashioned diary, but who has the time to take out a pen and paper and write everything down after a hard day of work? Not to mention that someone could always find all of your personal thoughts. No, in today’s society we have to think about what is the most time efficient, cost effective way to go about reflection. What is the one thing EVERYBODY has with them these days, all day every day? You are probably looking at one or sitting beside one right now. That’s right; your phone. There are numerous free apps you can download on your phone. You can even put a password on some of them so that no one can read what you have typed. You don’t have to call it a diary, you don’t have to call it anything really because nobody has to know about it. It is for your own, personal contemplation. 

You know how a problem today can feel like the end of the world? Well if you write it down on your phone, along with exactly how you feel about it, you can always save it and next time you feel like a problem is the end of the world you can go back and read it, and be reminded of how that problem passed; and this one will too.
Because you are the only one reading it, it doesn’t matter if no one else can understand it. You can use all of the abbreviations, pictures, emotes and jibber jabber you like! On the other hand, sometimes it helps if you imagine someone you trust is going to read it after you’re gone, it can help you to sort out your thoughts in an orderly way. I know it sounds morbid, but sometimes not knowing if someone will read it and finally know everything about you, after it will have zero consequences, can be comforting. 

Remember not to only take down the bad things in life. I make it a point to myself to always take down at least one good thing that happened. It can be as small as you made it to that meeting on time or you remembered to bring your lunch. People love to make progress, and if at least one meaningful thing happened today, the whole day feels worth it, and sometimes it can leave you excited to find out what good thing with happen tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe you’ll remember to bring dinner as well!