It is reflection that gets us from experience to understanding, and that understanding is what fills the space between the beginning and the end of our day with purpose, fulfillment, productivity and ultimately, happiness.

Famed business leader, Peter Drucker once said, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection, will come even more effective action.” Reflection is an integral piece of personal and professional growth and development.

When we pause to think about our day, we recall our successes and things we did well, which boosts happiness. We also mull over things that didn’t go so well. With this, comes a new level of understanding for situations and springs new ideas we might not have realized otherwise.

How do you make reflection a part of your daily routine? Here are a few ideas for you to reflect on.

Journal.

Put pen to paper and get all of those thoughts out of your head and into existence. Carve out time every day to journal. Do it in the morning. Do it at the end of the day. Jot a few notes down throughout the day. Just do it. You’ll notice the difference once you do.

Blog.

Take your journaling to the next level and blog about your reflections. Really, that’s what I’m doing here and now, as I write this. Once you get into a regular practice of doing it you not only expect it of yourself but you have an audience who is expecting it as well.

It’s a kind of positive peer pressure to hold you accountable. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to get feedback from readers giving you, even more, to reflect on.

Quiet time.

Writing isn’t your style? Set aside time to quietly go over your day in your mind. It could be on your commute home, or while you exercise. Reflecting on your day while running or walking can be very effective.

Just be prepared for ideas to come up that you won’t want to forget. If it’s not convenient to have a notebook and pen handy, try using a voice recording app on your phone to capture any thoughts and ideas you might have.