Reflections—Are they Useful?

What do you notice?

Do you remember those puzzles from childhood – spot the difference? The photos above are almost the same view on different days – apart from the obvious me swimming in one of them, what else do you notice?

Things change over time. Reflecting gives us an opportunity to notice, to recognise, to explore, to think. The luxury of space to wonder…

I reflect a great deal now but didn’t really when I was younger. Though reflecting on that statement, it is not quite true! I reflected but in less structured ways perhaps.

As an individual, I can sit in my head too much, so over-thinking often occurs, and this can damage my mental health. Not enough thinking and no change ever happens. So, there is a continuum:

So, how can we reflect in a way that is useful?

Firstly, we have to know why we are reflecting.

• Is it to understand our own competence in an area?
• Is it to develop our awareness of alternatives?
• Is it to reassure ourselves that our decision making was sound?
• Is it to simply notice how we feel?

There are so many more uses, I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point.

To avoid over-thinking, we have to learn to accept some key points.

1. There is no perfect, so no matter how much reflection we do, we will not find it!
2. We are only human, therefore fallible, so be kind.
3. We cannot predict the unpredictable, therefore we have to make choices and decisions as we go – sometimes we don’t know what to do, and that’s OK.

Sometimes it is hard to then know where to start…

• Does everything require reflecting upon? Probably not, but only we know the answer to that for ourselves.
• Is there a best way to reflect? Probably not, only we know what works for our brains.
• How do we reflect? Ah now, there are some tools to help here.

A great way to begin is to simply think about your thinking! Sounds ridiculous, but how do you think? I think best when moving and so I often talk to myself. Fairly unstructured, but if I record myself and play it back, it can be very revealing. I also time limit myself now – it has taken years to recognise that I do not need to keep thinking!

Reflecting now comes quite naturally. I find it very revealing and helpful and can allow me to sit at ease with myself and my life and work. I can honestly say, it has improved me!

What works for you?

Have you ever tried anything different?

Do you need some starter questions?

Start by thinking and then begin to notice things that will help you get to grips with reflecting…

If you’re wanting to explore reflective models in an interactive space, join us for Mandy’s Reflective Practice for Coaches CPD programme on Monday, June 23, 2025, 10am – 12pm (London time). Register now!

Mandy Dennison, PCC is a coach, trainer, mentor and facilitator. She works with organisations and individuals to help them realise their full potential. 

Mandy began life as a scientist, with an interest in Neuroscience. Realising people, rather than labs, was her passion, she then moved into the Education sector, as a teacher first, rising to Senior Leader, Coach for management training and OFSTED Inspector supporting school improvement, by working with teams and individuals. This led to a shift into coaching full-time as this was an area of particular fascination. 

Mandy is a tutor and mentor for those training to become ICF accredited coaches. She is described as bringing energy, passion and humility to her role. She is enthusiastic about others joining the coaching industry and as such is encouraging whilst maintaining an adherence to the standards and ethics of coaching practice. She has also been on the Board of the UK chapter of the ICF as the Director of Engagement, as she believes in giving back and supporting others on their journey. 

Mandy regularly coaches in a one-to-one capacity in the Neurodiversity field, an area of real passion, where she supports those at all levels from junior employees, through to C-Suite to develop a deeper understanding of themselves. (She also delivers organisational training around this area.) She also carries out leadership coaching and personal coaching. 

Mandy also has experience in working with organisations to develop a “coaching culture” and to train managers and leaders into a “coaching style”.