3-Minute Pause and Review
Time needed: 3 minutes (60 seconds each)
Setting: End of week, project or significant period
Purpose: Intentional reflection before moving forward
1. Stop and Acknowledge (60 seconds)
What: Physically stop whatever you are doing. Close laptop, put down phone, step away from desk. Sit somewhere different if possible. Take three deliberate breaths. Say internally or aloud: I am pausing to review before continuing. This period, project or week is complete enough to reflect on. Name what you are reviewing: this week, this project phase, this month, this term. Acknowledge: Something has been accomplished or experienced that deserves my attention before rushing to what is next.
Notice: Urge to skip review and keep moving, resistance to stopping, relief in permission to pause
Why: Creates boundary between doing and reflecting, honours completion before starting next thing, prevents endless forward momentum without learning
2. Three Question Review (60 seconds)
What: Answer three simple questions honestly. Write or think through each. What went well that I want to remember or repeat? What was hard or did not work that I want to learn from? What surprised me or what did I notice? Keep answers specific and brief. Not extensive analysis, just noticing. Examples: collaboration worked well, timing was poor, I underestimated complexity, asking for help earlier would have helped, I managed stress better than expected, boundaries got blurry again.
Notice: What emerges when you actually review, patterns becoming visible, learning available from reflection
Why: Structured questions make review accessible, noticing what worked informs future choices, acknowledging challenges enables adjustment
3, One Learning Forward (60 seconds)
What: From your review, identify one specific learning you will carry forward. Not vague like do better but concrete like I will block time for focused work before scheduling meetings, I will ask for help when stuck not after crisis, I will protect my energy on high-demand days, I will celebrate small wins as they happen, I will notice when boundaries blur and reset sooner. Write this learning clearly. Say: Based on this review, I am taking forward this one learning: [specific insight or adjustment].
Notice: Clarity about what to change or continue, empowerment in extracting learning, completion feeling from review
Why: Converts reflection into actionable learning, prevents repeating patterns unconsciously, closes review loop with forward application
Closing: Say “I reviewed, I learned, I continue”
Notice: Difference between rushing forward versus pausing to learn
Why: Marks completion of review and intentional continuation
Why Pause and Review Matters:
Continuous doing without reflection repeats patterns. Learning requires intentional noticing. Successes go unacknowledged without review. Mistakes repeat without examination. Patterns stay invisible without pause. Forward momentum needs periodic reflection. Experience becomes wisdom through review.
What Review Is Not:
Harsh self-criticism or judgment. Extensive analysis paralysis. Dwelling on failures endlessly. Comparison to others’ progress. Perfectionist evaluation. Punishment for mistakes. Proof of inadequacy. Performance review by yourself.
What Review Actually Is:
Honest noticing of what occurred. Acknowledging both success and struggle. Extracting learning from experience. Celebrating what worked well. Understanding what to adjust. Recognising growth and patterns. Honouring effort and outcome. Informing future choices with past wisdom.
When to Pause and Review:
End of each week. Completion of projects. Monthly or quarterly. After significant events. Before starting new phases. When feeling stuck or scattered. During transitions. Annual reflection. When patterns keep repeating. Anytime needing clarity.
Review Questions Variations:
What am I proud of? What drained me? What energised me? What would I do differently? What surprised me? What do I want more of? What do I want less of? What did I learn about myself? What patterns do I notice? What needs attention going forward?
Depth of Review:
Quick review: Three minutes, three questions, one learning. Medium review: Ten minutes, journaling responses, multiple insights. Deep review: Thirty to sixty minutes, comprehensive reflection, detailed planning forward. Choose depth appropriate to what you are reviewing.
Making Review Sustainable:
Keep it brief and regular. Use same questions for consistency. Write answers for tracking over time. Do not judge yourself harshly. Focus on learning not perfection. Celebrate what worked first. Acknowledge challenges honestly. Extract one clear learning. Make it ritual not burden.
Solo Versus Shared Review:
Solo review: Personal reflection, private honesty, self-paced. Shared review: With team, partner or accountability person, multiple perspectives, collective learning. Both valuable for different purposes. Choose based on what you are reviewing.
Tracking Reviews Over Time:
Keep review notes in same place. Notice patterns across reviews. Celebrate repeated successes. Track learning implementation. Observe growth over months. Recognise persistent challenges. Adjust based on accumulated wisdom. Use past reviews to inform present.
When Review Reveals Problems:
Name issues clearly without catastrophising. Distinguish temporary from systemic. Identify what you can influence. Seek support for larger problems. Make one small change first. Be honest about unsustainability. Know when to ask for help. Recognise limits of individual solutions.
From Review to Action:
One learning identified. One specific change planned. One timeline set. One accountability if needed. One small first step. One checkpoint to review again. Learning without action is incomplete. Action without learning repeats mistakes.
Review as Self-Care:
Honouring your experience matters. Acknowledging effort is care. Learning from challenges is growth. Celebrating successes is essential. Noticing patterns is wisdom. Taking time to reflect is respect for yourself. Carrying learning forward is investment in future you.
Building Review Habit:
Same time weekly or monthly. Same questions for consistency. Same location if helpful. Brief duration for sustainability. Written record for tracking. Gentle approach without judgment. Forward focus with learning. Celebration of completion.
Common Review Resistance:
No time to pause. Too busy to reflect. Already know what happened. Review feels indulgent. Afraid of what I will see. Prefer doing to thinking. Review feels like punishment. Want to move forward not backward.
Review Reframes:
Review saves time by preventing repeated mistakes. Reflection enables better doing. Review reveals what you might miss. This is investment not indulgence. Honest review builds growth. Reflection serves action. Review enables learning. Looking back informs moving forward.
Review Benefits:
Increased self-awareness. Better decision-making. Pattern recognition. Reduced repeated mistakes. Acknowledged growth. Extracted wisdom. Informed adjustments. Celebrated successes. Honoured effort. Continuous improvement. Sustainable progress.
What period are you ready to pause and review? What learning wants to emerge from reflection?