Reflect. Then Act

Reflect. Then Act

We live in instantaneous, always-on society. Digital media has opened up significant opportunities for communication and entertainment; it seems to have also hastened our pace of life.

An email or SMS arrives, we often answer it directly. The phone rings, we engage in conversation.

While immediacy brings advantages of efficiency, it can impair judgment.

Sometimes taking time to think and contemplate before engaging in a rapid response can deliver the benefit of insight. This seems to be especially true when we are angered or enraged.

I recently had a client who felt he had been misquoted in the media. He phoned me. He was fuming and enraged, threatening to sue the publication and demanding a retraction. I recommended that we wait until the morning.

Sure enough, by morning he had reread the article many times, reflected on it, and realized that what seemed grossly wrong at the time, was in fact not so. He had even received praise from business colleagues for the article.

Taking time to reflect helps to give perspective and often brings insight. Taking time out to think, especially when an angry emotion takes over, can be very rewarding.

So instead

of just hitting the reply button, sometimes just take the time to reflect. Go for a walk, go to the gym, or even sleep on it – see what insights arise.

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