Shifting Your Mindset

We often think about reflection as something reserved for the close of a year or the start of a new one; but the truth is, reflection should be a consistent practice. Why wait until December or January to pause and consider what’s working and what needs to shift? Reflection isn’t just a ritual; it’s a tool. It helps us become better leaders, better teammates, and better humans.

Here are four reflections to consider (not just seasonally, but regularly) as you grow forward with intention:

1. Reflect on how you’ve spent your time and ask yourself if you could have done better.

We talk a lot about goal setting at the start of each year, but how often do we reflect on how well we prioritized those goals? Time is your most valuable currency. Are you spending it, investing it, or wasting it? The way you treat your time influences how your team will treat theirs. If you’re leading a business, leading a team, or even just leading yourself; budget your time with the same intention and care that you would your finances. Busy doesn’t always equal productive.

2. Find your path to positivity.

This doesn’t mean toxic positivity. It means intentionally cultivating gratitude and learning to reframe challenges into growth opportunities. Your physical well-being is directly tied to your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. The benefits of intentionally shifting your mindset toward positivity are undeniable. You’ll open yourself up to creativity, opportunity, and clarity. You’ll focus better, act with more intention, and tap into a version of yourself that’s primed for success.

3. Adopt the mindset: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” – Dr. Stephen R. Covey

We live in a noisy world. Communication is constant, but effective communication? That’s a lot rarer. We delete what we don’t like, edit what we do, and often forget to listen. True connection doesn’t happen through curated replies; it happens when we slow down long enough to truly hear each other. Make it your mission to reconnect with empathy. Ask yourself: Am I really present in this conversation? Am I listening to understand or just to respond? The quality of your relationships will rise, and fall based on how well you learn to listen.

4. Consider your values and the attributes you portray.

We’ve all heard it: You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. But here’s the deeper truth, what are YOU bringing to those five people? What kind of influence do you bring into the room? Are you someone who empowers others or someone who dims the light? Living with intention means living in alignment with your values. Traits like adaptability, collaboration, and discipline will earn you trust and respect. But it’s your consistency, compassion, and ownership that will set you apart as a leader and a human being.

As you move through your days, weeks, and seasons, don’t wait for a calendar milestone to take stock of your mindset. Build reflection into your rhythm. How you think determines how you show up. And how you show up determines what happens next.