Tune up your EQ

It is with deep regret that the family and friends of Galba Bright wish to inform you of Galba’s untimely passing.

Galba Francis Adeyinka Bright, Human Resource Consultant and Author, died at his office on March 31 of natural causes, leaving his wife Sandra, numerous family members, friends, associates, readers and fans.

Out of respect, the Tune up your EQ website created by Galba will therefore be offline for a short period.

We thank you for your understanding at this time and appreciate the interest you have shown in Galba’s work and ideas.

Should you wish to post comments about the personal impact of Galba’s thoughts and writings, please feel free to click here or go to his blog.

The Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Galba Bright will be held at St. John’s Methodist Church, Montego Bay, Jamaica, at 1.00 pm on Sunday, April 19, followed by interment in Dovecot of St. James Memorial Park, Orange, St. James.

What Type Of Reflector Are You?

March 12th, 2008 by Galba Bright

Is your life running at a faster pace in 2008 than last year? Did an extra day in February slow things down for you at all? Will you have to move even faster to make 2008 your best year ever?

Enjoy a little thinking time.

What Is Reflection?

Reflection occurs when you apply conscious thought or consideration to a past activity or experience. Writing a journal is a reflective workout for some. Meditation mellows the minds of many. Prayer strengthens some peoples’ contemplative muscle.

What Type Of A Reflector Are You?

Which of these 5 statements fits you best?

1. I’m busy getting things done. Sitting down and thinking is a waste of time. I don’t “do” reflection.

2. I rarely take a pause. It never changes what I decide to do anyway. I’m a skeptical reflector.

3. Now and again I consciously think about what I can learn from my past experiences. Sometimes it’s worthwhile. I’m an occasional reflector.

4. Every week I stand back from what I’ve done or experienced. It helps make act more effectively. I’m a regular reflector.

5. Every day I deliberately think about my experiences and what I’ve learned. I also schedule monthly, quarterly and annual sessions with myself. I’m serial reflector.

I’m curious to know. Does one of these statements apply to you, or do you describe yourself differently? Please leave a comment, or email me, using the contact form.

To think and learn about reflection, read the Tune up your EQ Reflection article archive.

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13 Responses to “What Type Of Reflector Are You?”

UpperDigitalSLRCamera » Blog Archive » What Type Of Reflector Are You? Says:
March 12th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
[…] Writing a journal is a reflective workout for some. Meditation mellows the minds of many. … MORE >>Creadit By Fat […]
Beth Robinson Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 8:11 am
I’m an occasional reflector, trying to become a regular reflector because it will support my simple goal for 2008 of “think better.” It’s actually part of what I’m using my blog for.

Beth Robinson’s last blog post..Lessons from the IRS Help Line
Jo Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I am a serial reflector. I can spend the whole day thinking and then wonder where the time has gone so I

a. Use www.inpowr.com on a daily basis to manage my meta goals. That reminds me of the stuff like ‘make sure I have something to show for the day’. The biggest benefit has been getting me to think about what I have achieved rather than what I am yet to finish.

b. I use ‘Journal’ to keep track of tasks. I use it as a scratch pad. I also store notes on ideas there and go through it from time to time. i use it a lot if my time management is going to pot. It has a buzzer and I will get down to 15minute intervals sometimes.

c. I use my blogs to organize my ideas about what I have read so I can find the ideas again. I also use them to set goals that might vanish otherwise - meet 20 people via 2.0

d. And I have notebooks of various sorts. Too many of those.

e. Of course, I do my accounting once a month.

My annual and quarterly planning is still rudimentary because I just made a huge shift in my life. So much of my thinking there has been clarifying my goals rather than achieving them.

This is a subject I like because my methods have varied so much with my life circumstances. Sometimes life is pretty complicated and it is hard to keep up!

Jo’s last blog post..Being attractive to large groups, crowds and communities
Steve Roesler Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Easy question, Galba: I’m a serial reflector.

Actually, very similar to Jo, even to the point that I originally started the blog in order to see what I was thinking about.

Truth be told, I would like to reflect a bit less and act just a bit more.

Steve Roesler’s last blog post..Passion Continues Shortly. . .
Tori @ MindTweaks Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Hey Galba!

I’d like to propose a new label: “Recreational Reflector!”

I reflect often, but I’m not so organized, purposeful, or deliberate as the description of “Serial Reflector” suggests. I just enjoy reflecting on .. well, everything. But because I enjoy it so much, it’s not so much a discipline for me. Maybe “Freestyle Reflector” would be an even better label.

Jo, thanks for the link to inpowr - it looks seriously cool

(And I’m luvin the new CommentLuv plugin)
Galba Bright Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Hello Beth:

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights. Can I ask you, what do you think will bee the key benefit f moving from occasional to regular? I enjoyed both of your blogs.
Galba Bright Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Hello Jo:

Thanks for lifting the hood on the tools that you use . Inpower looks great, very intuitive and accessible, so I signed up. It was interesting to learn that the tools that you use vary according to your stage in life. Perhaps that’s a real sign of flexibility ad wisdom. I can relate to your observation about capturing information in numerous places. I have hand written and wordprocessed notes about so many of my interests.
Galba Bright Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Hello Steve:

Your own, Jo’s and Beth’s comments all refer to a blog as a thinking and reflective tool. I find this very interesting and I wonder how you would score or rate how well you use your blog in this way. I like Earl Nightingale quotes and I can’t resist “an idea is useless unless it is acted upon” There is a pitfall if the serial reflector fails to act on his new insights. Maybe I’ll add a another category.. The recidivist reflector. Like the serial guy/gal devotes a lot of time to reflection, indeed is unable to stop, but rarely implements the results. Of course, recidivists can end up giving reflection a bad name

I think your capacity foe reflection shows thru in how you frame issues and invite discussion over at All Things Workplace, so my experience of you is that you’re firmly in the serial camp. I wonder, Steve, what do you think it would take to experiment with being more action oriented?
Galba Bright Says:
March 13th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Hello Tori:

Thanks as ever for your Tweak. Your new terms, Freestyle and Recreational are great descriptions. Do think that serial reflectors get less joy out of reflecting? than the more free-wheeling type? It also prompts me to think that maybe there should be a “master reflector”, or a
“model reflector” for those who teach or inspire others to reflect. What do you think?
Jo Says:
March 14th, 2008 at 2:56 am
You are on to a big topic here Galba! I think you are going to have to divide it up for us.

I think the merits of a positive psychology process comes from ‘laying the path where we walk’ which I read on Steve Roesler’s blog last night. That is easier to understand than the expression ‘building a bridge as you walk on it’. Laying the path where we walk.

Put the next slab under your next footprint - no that gives me vertigo, too close. But next two slabs - that feels fine.

What is the next slab and the one after? Where should your next two slabs be?

Mmm thanks to Jim on Steve’s blog. I like this game.

I am interested in what is happening in Jamaica and what it is like to be on your interface.

Does that sound too intellectual? When I picture you on a map, it gives me a feeling of breathing. Like opening a window and taking a deep breath.

What are the next two slabs in the path for you?

Jo’s last blog post..Being attractive to large groups, crowds and communities
Tori @ MindTweaks Says:
March 14th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
In Reply to Galba’s Reply:

Hmm.. upon reflection

No, I don’t think serial reflection types would necessarily enjoy the process any less. Many might find additional pleasure in the organized, purposeful aspects of their approach, and they could still enjoy the actual reflection process. The only thing that might reduce the enjoyment would be approaching it simply as a chore.

I do agree with the idea of an idealized/model version: capable of both deep, free flowing reflection, *and* disciplined practices. Think we’re getting somewhere?

Oh, and you didn’t ask me, but I think blogs/journals/free writing are excellent reflection tools. Every time I sit down to write a post, I learn more about what I think!
Galba Bright Says:
March 19th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Hello Tori:

Yes, I noticed that you made this point in your earlier comment. My gut tells me that this interplay between

“free flowing reflection, *and* disciplined practices.” firs with my experience.

It follows that if a person can be a serial reflector, s/he can also be a parallel reflector. This is someone who reflects on a number of things at once, a practice that I wouldn’t recommend
Galba Bright Says:
March 23rd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Hello Jo:

mmm, having reflected at length, I think my path is defined by certain fundamentals. Purpose is very important to me. That’s why this article was so much fun to write.
http://tuneupyoureq.com/2008/01/22/the-little-known-secret-of-how-i-discovered-my-life-purpose/
This year, I decided to deliberately take my own medicine and review my myself against these principles
http://tuneupyoureq.com/2007/03/28/emotional-intelligence-in-3-simple-phrases/
I seek to consciously follow these high level ideas and encourage myself by reminding myself that I am moving towards these fundamentals. Things are quite busy, so keeping an eye on the next steps is important. Generally, if I keep my eye on the fundamentals, the next steps become (relatively) clear.

I don’t view your query about Jamaica as being intellctual.There are few small islands that are well known globally as Jamaica. This article gives you an idea of what I like about my home city
http://tuneupyoureq.com/2007/09/12/3-things-that-i-love-about-montego-bay/. I think my environment eg fresh air, natural surroundings influences my writing positively. I hope my answer helps you fill in some of the blanks.