Dr. Tiffany Ofili Porter

This past weekend I was inducted into the University of Michigan’s Athletics Hall of Honor and it truly meant the world to me.

To go back to the state where my love for athletics was born and the University where it was nurtured is one thing. But to receive the highest sports honor offered by my beloved alma mater alongside my family and friends is a moment I will never forget. As I was preparing for the induction, I was forced to stop and reflect on my journey leading up to that moment, and now that it’s over, I am still left reflecting on all it means to me.

Having those periodic check-ins with yourself to reflect on your journey is important for a few reasons:

1) It provides perspective and gratitude

Reflecting on your journey can help you appreciate the progress you’ve made and the people who have supported you. Regardless of whether I was preparing for a big race as an athlete or a big exam as a pharmacy student, I found that periodically stopping to see how far I came was encouraging, even while I was in the trenches. Most lofty goals feel impossible at first, but if you are intentional about stopping to celebrate the small wins throughout the process, it will help keep things in perspective.

I often talk about the importance of community because life has shown me time and time again that we can get so much further with supportive people in our corner. While we check-in with ourselves, it’s helpful to note who’s supporting us while we are grinding, when we have losses, and when we have wins.

This past weekend, I paused to look at the people who were there to celebrate with me, and their support meant just as much to me now as it did back when I was competing.

When you find your tribe, appreciate them and figure out how you can be of use to them as well. It’s important to uplift others and be a light in their lives just as they’re doing it for you.

2) It increases your self-awareness

Reflecting on your journey allows you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your values, and your goals. This self-awareness can help you make better decisions and set more meaningful goals.

One of the questions I was asked during the speech portion of my induction was “what was the greatest lesson(s) learned from your track career?” And I had to have a level of self-awareness to effectively answer this question.

After I discussed the importance of relationship, I ran out of time to mention a second lesson sport has taught me which is that being committed to a goal will eventually pay off.

This was true while I competing against the best athletes in the world, or studying for an exam while in pharmacy school. Putting the work in and persevering will be worth it in the end. Even now in retirement as I’m pursuing other interests, and have new goals, I’m still reminded of the importance of remaining committed in your pursuits day in and day out.

3) It improves your goal setting and planning

By assessing your journey, you can set more realistic and achievable goals. It helps you effectively align your aspirations with your capabilities and resources.

When I was asked how the University of Michigan prepared me to be an Olympian I paused to think about how I’ve always been surrounded by excellence which naturally forces you to step your game up. Knowing that I was able to achieve greatness before gives me the confidence in my capabilities to smash my goals today.

Even though my aspirations may look different from when I was a professional athlete, I still understand the importance of being specific in what you want to accomplish, and being strategic in how you plan to do it. For example, as I’ve transitioned out of homeschooling my daughter full time, my goal of having her prepared for kindergarten hasn’t changed. I have watched videos, and consulted with educators on supplemental work for us to do in addition to what she’s learning in school. Being intentional about making our home lessons fun yet effective may be a challenge some days, but well worth it in the long run.

4) It encourages you to learn from experiences

Reflecting on your past experiences, both successes and failures, can provide valuable lessons. It helps you identify what worked well and what didn’t, enabling you to make improvements and avoid repeating mistakes, which can ultimately foster personal growth and development.

When we experience setbacks or disappointments, it’s wise to pause and try to pull lessons from them.

Did you fail to get hired for a job you really wanted? Let’s pause to evaluate how we can improve our job interviewing skills.

Did you have a failed romantic relationship? Let’s pause and identify the role we played, and areas we can improve upon for the next go around.

Did you miss an important deadline at work? Let’s pause and incorporate time-management systems to help us avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Whatever it may look like for you, growing from our failures can be just as useful as learning from our wins. The key is the intentionality behind it, and a deep desire to pull lessons from each and every situation.

My Hall Of Honor Induction, which is one of my proudest achievements, reminded me of the importance of reflection, regardless of where you are on life’s journey.

Self-reflection is a valuable tool for personal and professional development, enabling us to make more informed decisions, learn from experiences, and grow as individuals.



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