Have you ever taken the time to think about the way that you think? It’s an interesting concept, isn’t it? We are involved in conscious thought pretty much all of the time, and yet most of us spend very little time actually reflecting on how we evaluate information or how we decide what we are going to say or what we are going to do.
Critical thinkers understand the value of reflective thinking and utilize the practice regularly. One cannot be a practicing critical thinker until he commits to practicing introspection, which is defined as the examination of one’s own mental processes. Introspection allows one to indulge in an exploration of one’s own mind.
Here’s an exercise that you can use to get started in reflective thinking:
Before you go to bed, set aside five minutes to ponder the following questions:
● What was the best part of my day today and what made it so good?
● What was the least enjoyable part of my day today and what could I have done in order to make it not feel so negative?
● What did I do today that pushed me toward accomplishing my goals?
● What was the best thing that happened to me today?
● What did I learn today?
● What made me anxious or stressed today? Why?
● What should I have accomplished today that I failed to accomplish?
● Did my activities today reflect my core values and my goals?
● Did I invest in my relationships with others today?
● By doing what I did today, what did I choose not to do?
