Years ago, on our first overseas assignment with the military, I had a really lovely habit of creating and reflecting regularly.
An author that I love, Emily P Freeman, used to host quarterly link-ups for bloggers on her website. She would write a post about what she was learning, and followers could post links to their site when they did the same.
At the time, it was just the push I needed to lean into a regular habit of reflecting and remembering. Each week, I spent countless hours walking our dog. And I used that time to listen to podcasts and notice the world around me. We were traveling often and, in a foreign country, everything seemed new. I took my time moving through the world.
Why Is It Important to Notice What We’re Learning
Now, parenting young kids makes everything a little bit harder. Our dog lives with my mom (a calculated decision during our last move), so without multiple daily walks, I’m spending less time really seeing the world. I notice things about my kids, and their habits (or that super cute way they’re saying a word), but it’s not long before I’ve forgotten them.
One of our jobs as humans is to pay attention. To relish and revel and celebrate the world that God made. When I’m at my best, I do a pretty good job of this. But without a regular practice of looking back and paying attention to what I’m learning and how I’m spending my days, does it matter?
After the kids were born, I started the habit of writing about our days in the Notes app on my phone. It often wasn’t much, usually something right before I turned out the light at bedtime. Or sometimes, after I turned it on again to feed a baby.
I didn’t have time to write long-form, but I knew there were things about each day I wanted to remember. It’s my natural leaning to notice and be curious. But often I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning, much less something I learned last week or last month.
So, taking the time to document what I’m learning feels like an important practice. One that I let fall off the radar for a while. But now that the kids’ routines have settled a bit, it feels like one that I can pick back up. I want to pay more attention to how I’m moving through the world, what’s important to us right now, and what I’m learning.
Maybe you’re feeling the same. Maybe you’d like to start a habit of reflection, a practice of looking back before moving forward.
Finding What I’ve Learned
Here are some of the things I used years ago, when this practice was more of a habit. This time around, I’ll start here too, and add or remove things as needed.
Calendar
Wherever I keep my daily happenings, I almost always start there. For me, this is the calendar on my phone, but it could be a paper planner, a digital Reminders app, or even a to-do list. Seeing our daily comings and goings, and being reminded of any holidays or long weekends, gives me somewhere to start. Maybe it will trigger a memory of something I want to look into more deeply.
Journal
This one is kind of two-fold. I’ll be using both my long-form journal and the daily recaps on the Notes app on my phone. Since I only write in my journal during my writing time, it’s not always a good indication of the ins and outs of a particular day. The notes app on my phone is where I keep our “daily log”. I write down whatever we’ve done for the day, if anything notable happened. I even do my best to record cute things the kids say or do, so I have that for later.
Photos
This is a great way to jog my memory and see what was important to me on any given day. Or, if we’ve taken a trip or done something out of the ordinary, I have those photos, too. We take photos of moments and things we want to remember. So if it’s on my camera roll, it meant something to me at some point.
Other places
Things like shows I’ve watched recently or books I’ve read might also help me round up what I’ve been learning. I don’t remember using these too much in the past, but I’m keeping them in my toolbox for now. Especially since I’m trying to be more present with what I’m consuming (particularly TV), and not just scrolling on my phone with a show playing in the background. Other places you might consider looking could be social media posts, DMs, emails, or texts. If you travel often, maybe it’s the Maps history on your phone or in your car.
Sharing What We’re Learning
In the same way Emily taught me, I’ll be aiming for quarterly reflections. That looks something like this:
- A post at the end of February for the winter season.
- Posting at the end of May about the spring.
- A post in August about all we learned in the summer.
- Wrapping up the fall season with a post at the end of November.
A quarterly practice feels like enough time to have something to write about, but not so long that I forget it.
It’s possible that a different reflection schedule might work for you. The kids’ school calendar, a particular project timeline, or the quarters you use in your work life might be a better fit. Maybe you aim for once a month, or once a week. Play with it. And don’t be afraid to change your mind if you try something and it’s not a good fit.
I’ll be working on more “What I Learned” posts this year, and I hope you’ll consider joining me on this revived practice of reflection. If you make your own list, please share it with me. I look forward to seeing what we’re all learning!
Want an idea of what this all looks like? Check out my previous What I Learned posts.
