What is a Personal SWOT Analysis? Besides Sounding Powerful

First of all, I didn’t misspell SWAT. Now that we have that out of the way, I can tell you a bit more about what a personal SWOT Analysis is and why you might want to do one.

Personal SWOT Analysis

Let’s start off by defining the acronym, that seems like a pretty good thing to cover before we dig a bit deeper. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats.

I first learned about doing a SWOT analysis when I was an undergraduate at West Virginia University studying Business Administration. Regardless of the company size, it was something that needed to be done on a regular basis. It is a tool that businesses use to determine where they need to focus their efforts and resources, as well as to determine if a product, service, or even employee was a good fit.

Well, if it works for big businesses than it will certainly work for smaller, more nimble businesses.

But how does this apply to little ol’ me?

I see you nodding (and a couple of you scratching your head) and wondering just how this applies to you. Also, why do I keep saying Personal SWOT analysis? Well, as I keep mentioning, I would love for each and every one of you to be doing what you love and loving what you do. One of those foundational pieces to success is determining what your internal strengths and weakness are and identifying those external opportunities and threats.

Strengths

Your strengths are those things that you are awesome at doing or providing to others. We all have those things that others always come to us to do. Or these are the things you love to do and come easily to you. One of my strengths, at least according to my community of peers, is that I am able to see the “big picture” and ask the hard questions.

Weaknesses

Your weaknesses are those facets of your life that you could easily improve through a course, a tool, or good old fashion self-discipline. One of my biggest weaknesses is that I do not do well without a definitive timeline so I need to set a “due date” for all the tasks I work on in my life, even boring laundry.

Opportunities

Opportunities are the tools and resources that you can take to improve or mitigate your weaknesses or to better hone your strengths so that you can use them to your advantage. This blog is full of some fantastic opportunities to explore. Subscribeto the newsletter to catch the latest.

Threats

These are not threats to life or that hidden stash of candy you have in your kitchen. These are the potential barriers to your success. Maybe you have a personality trait that is a hindrance to your success, such as my deadline issue. Once you can identify your threats you can look for ways to eliminate or minimize those threats.

When should you do a Personal SWOT Analysis?

Honestly, this is a tool that you can come back to time and time again. Use it for your business to explore new growth opportunities. Perhaps, use it to evaluate if you are ready to leave your #SSDJ (soul-sucking day job). The options are limited to your imagination.

That’s a wrap!

Ready to do your Personal SWOT Analysis? Just download it here!

Drop a line if you need help filling it out or if you would love to share your results.

Be on the lookout for our next installment of the Do What You Love series, it might give you some wings! Also, check out the latest business toolbox resources for something to help you with an area that needs improvement.