Reflection

  Something that's sorely lacking in my life is reflection.  I never take the time to just stop and think about how my day went, how my life's going, where I'd like to go in life, etc.  I do plenty of thinking and reading, but usually it's about outside stuff.  I don't focus on me, my thoughts, actions and deeds.  Self-reflection could help me reconsider mistakes I've made during the day.
  A big problem I have when faced with any sort of a decision is that I tend to go with the first thing that comes to mind.  That doesn't always end well.  If I give myself more than one option, I'll be able to make an intelligent choice based on my observations.  The only way I can get to a place in my mental state where I can come up with options is if I look back on my day and see if I could have done some things better.  Then I will know next time I'm faced with a similar situation another possible course of action.
  It's a disturbing pattern how often I victimize myself to situations because of the timing.  I don't make quick decisions well.  If I have some pre-conceived notions about various situations, I'll have them at my disposal for future reference.
  This isn't just about my day to day actions, but about my past as well.  If I recognize patterns that were instilled into me by my parents, I can see why I make certain choices in the ways that I make them, especially when I'm not making them consciously.  Rumination will make me more conscious of my moment to moment choices.  The eventual outcome will be a constant mindfulness of my actions which will hopefully lead to fewer mistakes.