R&R

R&R (rest & recuperation) was established in military terms by the USA, as it dispersed a huge standing army across the globe post WWII. It’s probably the first example of the abbreviation most people hear. Others include:

Revise and resubmit - in the publishing world

Remove and reinstall - in the computer programming world

Retention and release - in NASA’s world!

Rescue and recovery - in the emergency services world

Reward and recognition - in the HR world

There is also one we use with our mentees, particularly at this time of year: reflect and regroup.

As we trundle towards the festivities at ever increasing pace, it’s important to remember to start clearing the urgent work away and spend an increasing amount of time reflecting on how the year has gone. For students this is an important time to rest and recuperate, without a shadow of a doubt. That makes it an ideal window to reflect.

Reflect to Regroup

In order to regroup it is important to reflect purposefully. Mentors do this after every mentoring session, reflecting on what was significant in the session, how the session felt, and what they will tweak about their approach next time. You can systematise reflection, and process it through the likes of a reflection log or a SWOT analysis. For students entering the winter holidays, reflection needs to be more than a few cursory thoughts dotted amongst the feasting. It is only with a systematised reflection process that they can hope to regroup. Regrouping involves setting new SMART goals, changing processes, and continuing to challenge mindset, as well as getting organised and reinvigorated for a tough January, littered with mock exams for many students.

What you’ll notice about the versions of R&R above is that they all involve doing something, to help move things forward.

We burn out if we don’t rest, but we stand still if we don’t reflect. Regrowth will hopefully follow a burn out, but without reflection, we don’t even realise we’re not moving. It’s worth knowing how to reflect, a skill so fundamentally useful in all areas of our lives.