A Time of Reflection, Reclaim Your Direction & Choose Your Next Chapter

When you don’t even know what you want, reflection can feel like a hard thing to do. You are faced with the possibility that you’ve lost yourself along the way and that can be an emotional thing.

I offer that you give yourself some grace and compassion. You were doing the best with what you had and taking care of things that required your attention. This is a normal phase of life. It’s when you lay the foundation of skills and capabilities for what comes in this next chapter.

A Time of Reflection Begins With Compassion

Now you get to take some time and reflect on what was, what you learned, and what is to come.

Now is the time you get to decide what you want and where you go. By taking in all that you’ve done previously, all the skills, all the experiences, you get to discover what worked and what didn’t. You get to determine what you want in your life and what you don’t.

Think back to all those times you dreamt of what your life would be. Who did you think you’d be when you were 5, 10, 15, 20? Is there a theme? Is that theme still valid for you today?

Reflecting on What Has Shaped You So Far

What have you learned in your life experiences? Did you discover something new that you didn’t know about then?

And mainly, what captures your attention today? Is there something that piques your interest that may seem a bit far-fetched and out of reach, but intrigues you none the less?

This time of reflection can, and will, take you down many different roads of possibility. Allow yourself the time to wander them all for a moment. As you do, there will be one road that calls to you.

When that road calls, follow it. Bring your experience, strength, and hope along for the ride.

Using Reflection to Adjust Your Direction

Remember that your past creates today, and today creates your future. Think about what it is you want in your life. You have the opportunity to change the trajectory with the decisions you make today.

When you find something that is holding you back from moving forward, investigate it. It’s like a knot in twine. It may take some time to unravel but it’s worth the effort. Pick at the threads to find a loose one and gently pull. Where is it going? What is it tied to?

Be gentle with yourself. If you pull too roughly, the knot gets tighter. Feel the emotions, allow them to just be. You don’t need to do anything with them. Just notice. This is another data point for your next decisions.

You get to decide what you carry forward and what you leave behind in your life. Some things will take a while to release yourself from and others will be dropped like a hot potato. It is through reflection and observation that you get to make adjustments in your trajectory. 

Reflection opens the door, but it’s often the next gentle question that helps you step through it. If this time of reflection has stirred curiosity about what you want more of, what feels complete, or where your attention is quietly pulling you, you don’t have to figure that out all at once. 

I created the Next Chapter Starter Guide to help you explore those answers in a way that feels safe, spacious, and even a little playful. It gives you a simple place to reconnect with what matters now and identify one small, aligned step forward. You can download it now and continue this process at your own pace, with clarity and confidence.