2023 Reflection Tips from the Special Forces, F1 and Olympic Medalists

As we close out the year, most of us will review the year that’s been and make plans moving forwards.

I was fortunate enough to sit in on many Special Forces After Action Reviews (AAR’s) from major training exercises and this process fascinated the hell out of me.

So here are my top yearly review tips from a combo of the Special Forces guys, F1 sports psychologists, Olympic medalists and one legendary wealth management specialist.

🥽 👓 Doom goggles and rose-tinted spectacles.
Reflecting in the moment on a long period of time which has past is a recipe for disaster. If you have a belter of a last few weeks then you’ll likely don your rose-tinted specs and the year won’t appear accurately.

Or. If your close out has been a disaster, your doom goggles are going to negatively bias the way you look at your year.

Instead…
🖼️Combine these potent tactics, scroll back through your phone pictures and your callender and take note of 3 🆙 3 ⬇️ for each month. This will add some objectivity to your reflection if you haven’t been a consistent reflector throughout the year. 

*Credit SF don I’ll call ‘the godfather’ and wealth management specialist Jason Graystone.

🤏Start now
What is the smallest thing you can do right now, today or latest tomorrow, to initiate the changes you want in the new year? 

Why wait until a Monday or Jan 1st? Make a commitment, and begin the work now, with a baby step towards the goal.

📑SOPs
Standard Operating Procedures. What are they and what do you need to alter to 
A-avoid repetition of things which simply did not work
B-remove the barriers to progression and growth.

SOPs work in just about all walks of life, quite simply because getting left of the bang 💥 is a performance enhancer/force multiplier in itself. 

*Credit pretty much every military operator that ever lived.

⚖️Tax and interest
You pay both tax and interest on just about everything that involves time, energy and money. Cast an eye back over your year and see where you invested and whether your books are balanced. 

😮‍💨Example: Breath work session
Tax = time.
Interest = mental clarity, headspace, calm, 👆resilience.
Books = 📈

🍷Example: Bottle of wine at home with dinner 3rd night in a row
Tax = hangover, brain fog, money
Interest = felt relaxed, shared it with loved one.
Books = 📉

Credit. Me. This is my baby. I’m proud of it. Pls Steal and reapply but reference or we can’t be friends.

✅🛑➡️Start. Stop. Continue.
What do you want to start doing (and why)?
What do you want/need to stop doing (and why?)
What do you want/need to continue doing?

These are a few of the basics of reflection.