How to Reflect After a Performance
5-Step Process to Turn Experiences into Growth
We do not learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on experience.1
Deliberate, focused reflection on our performance transforms experiences into actionable insights, driving growth and improvement.
Benefits of Post-Performance Reflection
Identify Performance Drivers — Understand the factors behind your best and worst outcomes to replicate success and avoid repeating mistakes.2
Enable Objective Analysis — Use performance data to eliminate biases and gain a clear, fact-based understanding of your results.3
Process Emotions — Reflecting on your experiences helps you process your emotions, gaining clarity and focus to move forward effectively.4
Improve Training Plans - Pinpoint actionable insights to create a clear game plan and take meaningful steps toward improvement.
How To Structure Your Reflection
Break down your reflection into these five categories and answer the questions for each.
1. Facts
Key Data: What facts or data points do you have about your performance?
Insights: What do these data points reveal about how you performed?
2. Feelings
Process Emotions: How do you feel about your performance overall?
3. Continue
Successes: Break down your successes into three categories*:
Mental - What did you do well mentally?
Technique - What skills or techniques did you perform well?
Strategy - What strategic decisions worked effectively?
4. Improve
Opportunities: Break down your improvement opportunities into three categories*:
Mental - What could improve mentally?
Technique- What could improve technically?
Strategy - What could you improve strategically?
Action Plan: What’s the first step to address each area of improvement?
5. Learn
Key Takeaways: What did you learn from competing today?
*You don’t need to cover all three categories—just reflect and note any successes or improvement opportunities where they exist.
Where To Write Your Reflections
Store your reflections in a dedicated journal or use a digital platform like Notion or Google Forms.
Here are free templates I created for both Notion and Google Forms. These tools make it easy to organize, store, and review your journal entries over time.
Quote from John Dewey
Chow, G. M., & Luzzeri, M. (2019). Post-event reflection: a tool to facilitate self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-regulation in athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 10(2), 106-118.
Allen, M., Robson, D., Martin, L., & Laborde, S. (2019). Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Self-Serving Attribution Biases in the Competitive Context of Organized Sport. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46, 1027 - 1043. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219893995.
Ullrich, P., & Lutgendorf, S. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24, 244-250. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10.