As I continue to think about my goals and growth opportunities for 2020 and beyond, one of the key tools I now use in order to really and truly understand and assess myself is what we call a personal SWOT analysis.

SWOT as a tool is mostly used in companies to understand some of the internal and external factors like competition or even processes that affect positively or negatively the growth of a company. But this tool is not only meant for businesses, it can also be used at a personal level to understand yourself and your surroundings/environment in order to grow.

It stands for:

• S = Strengths (internal)
• W = Weaknesses (internal)
• O = Opportunities (external)
• T = Threats (external)

This process captures information about your internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats.

Strengths:

To help you understand your strengths, picture yourself as a competitive product or as an asset that can be used as a way to differentiate yourself. Examples of strengths: Strong speaking skills, ability to bring people together, experience and training in counselling and coaching et al.

Weaknesses:

A personal weakness is a liability or an area of opportunity for growth. These are characteristics you could improve upon to increase future personal growth. Examples: fear of failure, uncomfortable speaking in front of groups, procrastination, poor listener.

Opportunities & Threats:

When thinking about your opportunities and threats, I always find it easier to begin with the “threats” as objectively as possible in order to determine possible ways to overcome them. You’re always surrounded by opportunities to get ahead, small ones and bigger ones. Just learn to align them with your strengths, and you’ll see things take off quickly.

The purpose of the personal SWOT analysis is to identify actions you can take to best meet your personal growth plans. The discipline and consistency of assessing yourself is key here and you therefore must be honest throughout the process.  Assessment tools provide a realistic picture of your strengths and weaknesses. They allow you to see potential pitfalls and blind spots, address them and intentionally live out of your strengths.

Don’t let your weaknesses get in the way of you reaching your full potential. Focus on what you do well, and capitalize on that – your strengths. Appreciate them and hone them, as they are like gold.