Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. ~Bahá’u’lláh 

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I love this quote so much! I love it because it sums up the growth mindset so beautifully. We just need to make every day better than the day before it. Small, steady, consistent steps, add up to a long distance travelled in the end. But it also shows intentionality—it’s not just a mindless process, but one in which we take a step towards growth, reflect on our actions, adjust if necessary, and then take another step, always trying to grow and improve. Personal growth and improvement is a journey, not a destination. 

The simple habit of reflecting for a few minutes every day (whether it’s during a morning meditation or at night before going to bed) on how your day went. Did my actions align with the way I want to live my life? Did I walk through my day with a sense of joy and gratitude? What could I improve on? What did I succeed in? What was challenging for me today and why? Did I lead with love and kindness, or with ego and fear? How can I watch for those in the future? 

These questions allow us to move through life with greater intention and integrity, helping us to be more conscious of our behavior which in turn makes it easier for us to make adjustments and improvements, simply because we are paying attention, and in the process, becoming more self-aware. The greater our awareness the easier it will be to break bad habits and implement better practices. Like consciously being kinder to others, or refraining from back-biting about others. Making sure we find some way to be of service, to stop and appreciate all we have to be grateful for, a moment of beauty, or how good it feels to receive kindness from someone else, so we’re inspired to pass that forward.

Such a simple act of self-reflection can have a huge impact on how intentionally and effectively we move forward on our path of personal development and contribute to the betterment of families and our communities.

We can develop this practice on several levels—as a regular habit to reflect on our every day life, and then at a more comprehensive level by reflecting every six months or so on how far we have traveled, what still needs to be conquered, and how our goals are aligning with our values.

How do you practice self-reflection and goal setting? What practices do you use to ensure that your life choices align with your system of values?