Personal SWOT!

2009 is supposed to be a year of rebirth, renewal and change for me. I had 2 New Years Resolutions. I decided to give up red meat and eating pork. These were very conscious and important decisions that encouraged me to maintain a more healthy lifestyle.

But I wanted something more out of 2009 and thought about my professional ambitions and what my goals were for the next 5 or 10 years. I wanted to strive for the best in my professional career. But there was some planning that needed to be done before I could set any career goals. I thought about my personal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) and how understanding these four areas could help me develop goals not only for 2009 but for the next 5 or 10 years. I developed some goals and a plan to attain those goals based on a thorough analysis of my self.

Take a closer look at the SWOT method--an analysis recognized by many companies; that if done correctly will help the company to grow with the use of a strategic plan, goals and various action plans. How did you devise your goals for 2009? Did you develop a thought out plan that you can follow in order to attain your goals? Maybe the SWOT can work for you too. Think about how you can analyze your personal SWOT and develop a more structured plan for your professional life for the next 5 or 10 years.

Strengths
What are your strengths? What makes you stand out from the rest? Is there something unique that you do? DO you have some special skill set? Do you communicate well?

Weaknesses
We all have them. Do you have any weaknesses? Is there something about you that needs a little work? Are you always tardy for meetings/work? Do you wait until the last minute to get a project done? Are you inflexible?

Opportunities
What opportunities are out there for you to develop yourself? Can you go back to school to get a terminal degree? A second degree? Develop a skill? Can you take on extra projects at work? Do you have a mentor in your field?

Threats
Is there anything holding you back from moving up in your career? Lack of sales? Too much downtime? The economy?

Think about these four areas and come up with a plan that helps you move forward in your professional career. Develop a personal SWOT analysis and develop some attainable goals for the next 5 or 10 years!

As always,

Prioritize, set boundaries, and live!