“It’s hard to look at modern life and see our capacities for reflection or meaning-making.  We don’t use our gifts to be more aware or thoughtful.  We’re driven in the opposite direction.  Things move too fast for us to reflect, demanding tasks give us no time to think, and we barely notice the lack of meaning...  we cannot stop life’s dynamic of self-reference or the human need for meaning. If we want to influence any change, anywhere, we need to work with this powerful process rather than deny its existence.”

– Margaret J. Wheatley

Ways of Reflecting

I have recently transitioned from a teaching faculty position to a full-time practicing evaluation position. When I moved to North Carolina this summer to begin my new job, it was, by nature, a reflective time in my life. As I have moved through the Fall semester, getting up to speed on evaluation projects, pitching our office’s services, and learning about our department’s culture, I have absolutely NEEDED reflective practice to grow as a professional. So, what have my reflective practices been? The answer is that the reflective process is embedded in everything I do, and I think making the process a “practice” means making a concerted effort toward including it in your way of doing things in order to improve yourself. Here are some areas where I see reflection in my life.

Reflective Practice as Journaling: Journaling in any capacity is just good reflective practice. Keeping notes on projects and meetings, being able to review and reflect on them as you go. I have been a proponent of Bullet Journaling ever since two Christmases ago when one of my favorite past masters students, Deven Wisner (you might know him!) gifted me a Moleskine notebook and set of Staedtler pens to begin a journey of making note of my life. The bullet journal is freeing, in that you create your agenda as you go. You decide what goes in your journal, how, and why. If you’re interested in learning more about bullet journaling, go here. I like to interrupt my bullet journal every so often and take a few pages to write reflections on my day, week, or semester. Over the course of this summer and fall the way I have begun to bullet journal has shifted, and I’ve noticed! More future-oriented, more time breaking down tasks for better task management, and more time spent taking note of moments when further, more critical reflection need to happen. Speaking of which…

Reflective Practice as Dialogue with Critical Friends: Journaling and reflecting on my own is great, but I think we can all agree that when we spend too much time thinking on our own about something, we tend to get really frustrated (even stuck). I have found that having a wealth of good “critical friends” I can connect with to bounce ideas off of, as I move through the daily challenges and learning opportunities associated with practice, is invaluable to my work. It is because of good critical friendship that I have stronger surveys, healthier logic models, more polished and thoughtful evaluation plans, and more productive conversations with stakeholders. And, generally, I feel like I have learned, and can grow, from my practice.

How do you find good critical friends? They can be anywhere! I suggest finding people who challenge you, will shoot it to you straight, and are willing to spend the time thinking it through with you. If they know the subject matter, great! If not, your ability to explain it to them may unlock keys to your mind that you may not know exist. And, of course, you should be willing to return the favor and lend an ear when your critical friend needs it!