Write out a rough outline of what you want to discuss in your reflective essay first. Include the topic of the essay, what points you want to discuss and how you want end the composition. If your topic is too broad, narrow it down as much as possible. You want to be specific and engage the reader and not just summarize a certain topic. The outline doesn't have to be formal but simply a sketch of how you want your essay to flow.
Use your rough outline to write a thesis or topic sentence that grabs your reader's attention and pulls him into the essay. The thesis or topic sentence is the first sentence of your opening paragraph. After the thesis/topic sentence, proceed with sentences containing information on your essay's topic.
The middle portion of your reflective essay is the heart of the composition and needs to keep the reader engaged. Each paragraph needs to be clear and reflect the topic/points from your outline. Use transitions --- as a result, consequently, so, thereby, therefore, thus, in summary and other transitions --- to move from one paragraph to the next. Avoid injecting information that doesn't relate to your topic. For example, if writing about cooking, do not start discussing scrapbooking unless you are writing about scrapbooking pictures of food.
Like other essay types, it is important to edit and revise your reflective essay before printing it. Make sure your essay's formatting is correct, especially if using Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago/Turabian, American Psychological Association (APA) or American Medical Association (AMA) style; follow any specifications provided by your instructor or the organization you are writing the reflective essay for.
If a specific style is not used, be consistent with your essay's formatting, including title, heading, page numbers, justifications, indents, spacing, footnotes and fonts.
A reflective essay's conclusion wraps up the composition by summarizing the main ideas, experiences and topic of your essay. The conclusion needs to be clear and contain elements of your essay's first paragraph. If you are worried about the conclusion, write a rough draft of the paragraph immediately after your first paragraph. After your essay is complete, then fine tune the conclusion.