The other day, I had to collect all the articles I'd written in 2023 and send them to a potential client.
And that's how I realized that I've written 32 articles so far this year.
I couldn't believe it, staring at the list. If you'd asked me to guess, I would've guessed way lower — maybe 15 or 20?
That's the thing about pausing to reflect — so often, it's a chance to honor things that time might otherwise overlook.
This week marks the first week of Spring, and we'd like to invite you to take a pause. Let's recognize what it took to get here and what you did and learned along the way.
We've set up this email for 3 reflections in 3 minutes — a quick pause you can scroll through to help you recognize all you accomplished last season.
The reflection habit
This week I’m putting together a talk for a data storytelling symposium. I’ve spoken at this symposium before, and I was excited to be invited back.
Instead of jumping into outlining the talk or finding the best slide template, I started by pulling up the notes I made for myself after the last symposium. An important part of my speaking process is to reflect on the talk as soon as it is finished—what went well, what needs to change, and what I should not do again.
Those reflections help me to refine my future talks, remind me of past wins (even small ones), and serve as a warning not to repeat the same mistakes (and to make new mistakes instead).
Taking that moment to pause and reflect is worth it—and not just for giving talks. We know that reflection helps us learn and process connections.
Saving space for reflection helps prepare for what’s next. So, let’s celebrate making reflection part of your life-long learning habit.
Great job reflecting!
Thank you for letting us be a part of your journey.
We can'twaitto see what you do this season.
Feel free to hit “reply” and share your reflections/wins with us!
Pause is a free reflection journal created by the Editors of 8&21.
