When It Comes To Reflection: Record It!

“You go through life experiences. Each record captures a different turning point in my life.”

Keith Urban

Last week, I had the privilege of talking to my mentee for our monthly GCC Mentor Connect Mentor-Mentee Check-In. For the second year in a row, I have been teamed up with a sophomore engineering student at Grove City College. Over the course of the academic year, we will meet five or six times (generally via Teams due to distance limitations). In these meetings, we spend time learning about and from each other. I help the student set goals for our time together. When we meet each month, we make sure measurable steps are being made to ensure achievement and overall learning from our shared experience. I also have the privilege of sharing from my own academic, vocational, and life experiences.

During our meeting last week, my mentee asked me for advice on how I might live my college years differently. I’m not sure this was the exact question as we were discussing both college and post-college plans and experiences. I suggested that finding away to record regular times of reflection. I explained that I have used different methods over the years to include this blog and my own journals. I encouraged her to find a method that works for her. It could be voice memos. It could be video recordings. It could even be letters sent to herself through the mail or email.

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of making space for reflection.

I think it’s important to pair that advice with the advice of finding a way to record your reflections. When I record my reflections, it helps to solidify the lessons I’m learning through life. It provides a place for me to return to from time to time. When I look back at these recorded reflections, I can see God’s hand moving in my life – helping me to grow, teaching me lessons, and even carrying me when I just can’t seem to move forward myself.

Today, I want to challenge you to find a method that works for you to record your reflections. Buy a journal. Start a blog. Create your own video channel. Be creative. Try it out for a few days. If it works, stay with it. If it doesn’t work, explore another option.

Don’t let your most important reflections disappear for ever. Record them. You won’t regret it.