In introspection, you examine your current mental state. There are at least two approaches to introspection: diagnosis (in which you look for specific problems like distraction and dullness) and remembering the goal (in which you remember or imagine the state of mind you want to be in, then look for differences between your current state of mind and your goal state).
I recommend both approaches. Without diagnosis, it’s easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re further along than you actually are. Without remembering the goal, it’s easy to get lost in diagnostic details. Diagnosis leads to steady but incremental progress, while remembering the goal leads to less dependable but (potentially) more significant leaps. Diagnosis helps you move away from problems, while remembering the goal helps you move toward where you want to be.
If you’ve experienced the goal state in the past, sometimes simply remembering the experience of being in that state is enough to actually put you back in that state. (The more recently you’ve experienced that state, the more likely this is to work.)
Photo Blue Mountain by Reginald Pentinio is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.