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196 Power Up Your Mind

doing, as Hamlet was able to find out about the real Claudius with
the help of the players. This has always been difficult but, arguably,
it is even more difficult today, for two reasons.
The first is image consciousness itself. There is a sense in
which you can get yourself into a situation where you have so effec-
tively defined yourself as the kind of successful person who simply
bounces back from anything that goes wrong, that you leave your-
self no time to reflect on things when they do not go according to
plan. You just drag yourself out of bed the following morning and
carry on as if nothing has happened.
The second reason is that today’s business environment is so
pressured that many people feel their promotion prospects or their
job itself will be at risk if, in the process of reflecting, they admit to
making mistakes. It is always difficult to own up to making a mis-
take at work, or at home for that matter—but the benefits of doing
so are enormous to the individual and to the organization.
Sometimes, of course, you do not realize the effect of what
you are doing. Over time you have acquired certain behaviors that
are seen by those around you as unhelpful. Perhaps you have
become so used to your position of authority that you make unrea-
sonable demands on other people. Or, perhaps you interfere too
much in the decision-making process, effectively disempowering
those who work with you. In such cases, you sometimes need some-
one else to hold a mirror up to you so you can see yourself as oth-
ers see you, but without losing your self-respect along the way.
The truth is that unless you reflect on what you have learned
and then go and do something differently, your learning is going to
be of only limited value. While the skill of reflecting is a difficult
one to acquire, it is also one of the most beneficial. Getting into
reflective habits will be key to your success.

How reflective are you at work? At home? When do you reflect? How do you make sure you
build in time for reflection?

Reflectiveness is connected to the passage of time—by definition, it
involves looking back at what has happened. However, effective
reflection also involves taking stock of the present and thinking for-