In recent weeks, as we enter the winter period and the evenings start to close in, I have been reminded that we are entering the period of the year when it is good to start clearing the decks and planning for the coming year.
Reflect on Past Experiences
Time is going to pass quickly as we approach the festive season and with the advent of the Christmas break there will be less time to get things done before the old year is over. I don’t know about you but I want to be ready to spring into action when everyone returns to work and steal an early march on anybody caught napping.
As I start preparing for this time I ensure that I have time to assess how the past year has gone and, just as importantly, I reflect on some of my past experiences that circumstances or opportunities have brought back into my consciousness again.
Just because something has passed, or you decided not to act upon it at the time does not always mean that it is completely defunct. It may not have been the right time to instigate any action or the experience may have more relevance to your future than you would have otherwise thought previously. Past experiences can reveal unexpected new avenues to explore.
Slowing down, seeing what you’ve missed from past experiences
In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to re-visit Rome. I have been there before and rushed around, like many of us, visiting the historical sites and ruins and, at the time, had made a mental note that ‘great, I’ve done that and can cross it off my list.’
ROME PICTURE BY Carla Tavares (contact: Nuno Tavares) Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
Returning there made me realise that there was a lot more to see that I had missed or overlooked on my previous visit. I also took the time to venture further afield out of Rome and explore new sights and began to appreciate Rome from a different angle. Even going back to the Forum, which I had visited on my previous trip, was an eye opener as I discovered things of interest I had not been able to take in before or my mind set was closed to beforehand.
It was a salient reminder that just because you have done/investigated something before or think you have already covered that area there may be value in re-visiting it. You may well see it in a different way, be in a different head space to appreciate its finer points more or spot new things of interest that were not obvious to you before.
This is a worthwhile exercise that may have you bringing ideas forward or breathing new life into an old plan or project that has more relevance to you now. Fresh eyes on past experiences can open up new possibilities.