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What Is Reflective Practice—Turning Uncertainty Into Action

  • Writer: Tracy Sharp
    Tracy Sharp
  • Apr 2
  • 4 min read

I’d been working with a female founder for a few months. At the beginning of our sessions, we’d take a moment to revisit the topics from the session before, then dive into what had happened in between. She told me this had been incredibly helpful—not just for clarity, but because, as a solopreneur, she was moving so fast she couldn’t always track what had happened. She didn’t know if she was making progress. She had no real reason to celebrate, or even notice the wins.


I understood this completely. So many of us are just moving from moment to moment, half-blind.


At 40, I realised I’d been doing the same thing with my career. I hadn’t been intentional. I wasn’t thinking about what I wanted—I was just looking around at my peers and chasing some version of their next step.

It was only when I started to slow down and really reflect that things shifted.


Learning about reflective practice changed everything for me. And it’s something everyone could benefit from doing more of. Here’s why.


When people talk about reflective practice, it can sound a bit abstract. But at its core, it’s just this: taking time to think about what you’ve done, how it went, and what you’ll take from it. It turns experience into insight. It helps you learn faster, feel more grounded, and make better decisions.


But reflection only works if it becomes part of the rhythm of your work.

It doesn’t happen by accident. And it definitely doesn’t happen when you’re always in reactive mode.

The simplest way I’ve found to build a habit of reflection is to use three questions:

  • What went well?

  • What could’ve been better?

  • What will I do differently as a result?


They work because they’re short, to the point, and directional. You can use them at the end of a day, a week, or a project. You can write them down or talk them through. You can do them alone or with someone else.


What matters is the regularity—not the format.


If you want to go a bit deeper, or if you’re feeling stuck, here are a few other questions I’ve seen people use effectively:

  • What am I avoiding?

  • What patterns are starting to show up?

  • What felt easy or energising?

  • What drained me?

  • What feedback did I get—and how did I react to it?


Reflection doesn’t have to be lengthy. It just has to be honest.

And if you’re managing people, creating space for regular reflection can be one of the most useful things you do. A five-minute check-in with your team about what’s working (and what isn’t) often tells you far more than a formal survey or process ever will.


It also helps to build in light accountability. Sharing reflections with a peer or manager keeps it from being just a private list of thoughts. Saying it out loud often gives shape to ideas that were still fuzzy in your head. And it helps you catch the wins—the stuff that’s easy to miss when you’re only looking ahead.


This isn’t just anecdotal. A 2014 study from Harvard Business School found that employees who spent 15 minutes at the end of each day reflecting on what they learned performed 23% better than those who didn’t. Another study focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) found that reflective practice—at individual, team, and organisational levels—was significantly linked to improved job satisfaction and performance outcomes.


The common thread? Reflecting helps people make sense of their work, stay engaged, and move forward with clarity.


Conclusion: Reflective Practice Only Works If You Actually Do It

This is the part most of us miss. We do the work, but we don’t absorb it. We grow, but we don’t always notice. And without reflection, it’s hard to stay connected to your own progress—let alone know what to do next.


Reflective practice isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s how you build confidence, spot patterns, and stay intentional about the direction you’re heading. It helps you stop drifting. And it gives you something far more valuable than hindsight: a clearer, calmer sense of where you are now.

If you want to see what this looks like in real life, I wrote more about how I’m using reflection to shape my own path here: How I’m Building My Career – Part Two. It’s not theoretical—it’s practical, and it’s ongoing.


You don’t need a framework or a journal or a workshop to start. Just a few minutes, some curiosity, and the willingness to ask yourself better questions.


Do you have a regular reflection habit—or a favourite question that helps you pause and make sense of things? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you.



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