Taking the time to reflect on our actions or words we said is a tradeoff that can help us feel less bad [or even better] in the long run.

Although I believe it to be crucial, in my opinion, we rarely pause to consider the consequences of our actions and words.

This is the largest obstacle you will face if you have recently started keeping a journal or doing frequent introspection.

The critical voice in your head usually comes out when you start introspecting.

Throughout the day, we rarely pause to reflect on our efforts and give ourselves a pat on the back. Instead, we automatically notice five or six stupid things that indicate we need to change our behaviour.

It’s possible that you don’t see introspecting at the end of the day as a particularly enjoyable way to wind down the day. However, it becomes increasingly important over time.

While looking backwards [introspecting] is the only way to fully grasp the big picture of life, moving forward is the only way to experience it.

We look back to understand life [connecting the dots], and we look forward to living life.

It is up to us to establish an inner compass of how we need to improve as we interact with more people at work and, possibly, shape the brains of young people at home.

This inner compass can be honed by regular introspection.

The more you think about your actions, the better you will get at changing them.

The best aspect is that it gets easier with practice. We get more comfortable with our inner critic, realise the necessity to work on one or two key themes at all times, and enjoy the process of balancing our strengths and weaknesses.

Instrospection allows us to pause and slow down.

Introspection gives the ability to exercise self-control before acting thoughtlessly.

This helps us recognise that we’re all works in progress. It also develops a growth mindset.

As Daniel Gilbert said in his TED talk:

“Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they’re finished.”

Dedicate one hour of your time each day to thinking and introspection, free from interruptions.

Spending time to reflect on our actions [and words] is one of the few truly wonderful gifts that we are capable of giving to ourselves.