Complete Daily I.Liv. Assess

What is Daily I.Liv. Assess?

The Daily I.Liv. Assess is a key tool we use to first assess what we accomplished (versus what we planned) and reflect on the success of the day in consideration of the life we are living today and building for the future. A daily reflection practice gives us a chance to reflect on ourselves, the choices we made and how we can be better and do better. In today’s world of constant action, it is a necessary respite that brings us back to what matters most and how we will get there.

By design, I.Liv. integrates this key aspect of continuous improvement into our daily life making it as simple as possible. Completing the Daily I.Liv. Assess is easy once the Daily I.Liv. Plan has been completed, yet is it critical for our self-improvement.

Why it matters?

Completing a daily assessment is key to self-improvement.

• See the true results and outcomes of our actions – In modern life, it is easy to fall into the ‘more is more’ fallacy. We can be getting A LOT of things DONE but end up feel badly and/or gain no traction in what matters most. Self-reflection gives us an opportunity to tap into the true results and outcomes – Did our long day move the needle in the right direction? How did it make us feel?
• Learn for the past to set ourselves up for a better future – Mistakes that appear obvious in hindsight, become lessons we could not have known in advance. Reflection is where we find the lessons from our past experiences and work to apply them in the future, instead of letting them go by unnoticed.
• Learn what brings us joy and discover our strengths – One of the hardest aspects about living our ‘best’ life is defining what that actually is. Daily reflection can open our eyes to the little (or big) experiences that bring us joy or highlight our strengths. These insights are invaluable on our journey to a fulfilled life.
• Intentionally decide if we liked or disliked how we showed up – Sometimes we react in the moment or just do what we have always done without too much consideration. Regular reflection practice gives us a chance to actually consider if we are on a desired path or need to inject energy to change how we show up in the future.
• Help us to see ‘failures’ as opportunities – Regular reflection practise is an opportunity to develop our growth mindset. A ‘bad’ day can be the most valuable experience, if we look at it as opportunities to learn and do better next time. Some of our biggest wins can come from our failures.
• Reinforce desired thinking and actions and retain lessons learned – Our brain needs us to give it the right direction (sometimes repeatedly) and like magic it will start to work FOR us. To build new habits and ways of thinking, we have to give our mind multiple ways to see our desired outcomes as “Rewards”. Celebrating small victories and reinforcing daily what was Good vs Bad for US is a key practice to get our brain to automatically make decisions we actually like.

The only way to grow and improve is to consistently look back at what’s working for us and what is not. One small improvement at a time.

Keys to a Successful Reflection Practise:

1. Do it Consistently – As per Nike, Just Do It! I.Liv. tools and guidance make the practice as easy as possible, but discipline and effort is required. No perfection needed, just start and commit, the benefits will come your way sooner than you think.  

2. Assess in Fact-Mode – When assessing it is important to do so in as ‘neutral’ position as possible. What happened factually? Leave the dramatic version for the Friday night dinner party. To reap the benefits, let’s think in facts!  

3. Set the Right Timeframe – Consider Now, Tomorrow and Future-Me!

When reflecting on the day past, it is important to time frame the assessment correctly. Looking at just one point in time gives us a limited view. We get the complete picture when we look at what happened in consideration of three timeframes:

1. Now – instant gratification. What is the impact of my decision on the same day?
2. Tomorrow – What is the impact of my decision on my near future?
3. Future-Me – delayed gratification. What can be the long-term impact of my choices?

Example	Default Response:
Situation:	Yesterday I chose to skip my workout, skip out on work and binge watch Netflix all afternoon.
Assessment – Now Timeframe:	In the moment: • Choice felt great! I had a lovely, relaxing afternoon.
Assessment – Tomorrow Timeframe:	The assessment changes greatly when we consider tomorrow: • Oh geez, I don’t feel that great today. I am bloated from all the snacking and overwhelmed at compounded work I must deal with to meet my deadline.
Assessment – Future – Me Timeframe:	The cost increases even further if we consider future-self: • With continued choices like this, I can become an overweight, lazy person who doesn’t progress in career of choice.

There is a balance here for sure (maybe we needed a relaxing afternoon and the swap gave us energy to rock the next day), lets just be sure we are being honest and true with ourselves.