Personal Development Tools
There are no shortage of effective tools that can be used in personal development yet, they are only effective if used and applied consistently to the aspects of our lives that we intend to change or improve.
SWOT Analysis for Personal Development
Before getting ahead of myself, let’s take a brief look at what a SWOT analysis is before looking at how you can make it work for you.
The origins of the SWOT analysis tool is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 70s using data from top companies. Humphrey’s goal was to identify why corporate planning failed.
Commonly Used in Business
SWOT is a flexible tool that can be used to effectively analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as they relate to a business or a smaller project within a business. The scope of this post isn’t to look at SWOT relating to business although here’s an example taken from a random business analysis provided by a personal trainer website.
Internal
Strengths and Weaknesses are internal aspects of the analysis that can be applied to the business as a whole. These can be changed because they are within the area of control.
External
This asks what opportunities exist for the business in the niche and what may threaten the success of the business. Externally there is less control over the specifics although positive thinking can always create opportunities for growth and minimize threats. They are never completely outside our control.
Positives and Negatives
Strengths and Opportunities are positive, Weaknesses and Threats, negatives.
Personal Development
There is no doubt that personal development is a lifelong process that doesn’t stop after reading a book or going to a seminar or training event.
So, with that in mind, a Personal Development SWOT analysis is not a one-time solution. Like business SWOT, it needs to be a regularly repeated and applied exercise and one done with complete honesty and realism. Done correctly, it can be a powerful “at a glance” tool that can assist with the growth of success in any area of life.
SWOTing Personal Development
Personal Development is about education for life so with that in mind, a SWOT analysis can become a potentially overwhelming exercise unless it’s broken down into specific areas. Here are seven activities typically found in personal development programs offered by ExGro.
- Improving self-awareness.
- Increasing self-knowledge.
- Developing skills and/or learning new ones.
- Building or renewing identity / self-esteem.
- Growing strengths or talents.
- Progressing a career.
- Pinpointing or enhancing potential.
Example SWOT
Putting SWOT Into Practice
Strengths – Opportunities. Your strengths can be effectively used to take advantage of opportunities.
Strengths – Threats. Your strengths can be used to minimize threats.
Weaknesses – Opportunities. Improve weaknesses by taking advantage of opportunities.
Weaknesses – Threats. Working to eliminate weaknesses leads to avoidance or repetition of threats.
Personal Honesty
This is the key starting point for a SWOT analysis. Keeping that in mind when you start to work on SWOTing any area of your life will help you develop a useful action plan and that can contribute to your positive and successful future.
SWOT to SUCCESS and GROWTH
Affiliate Note
In the opportunities box of The Personal Development SWOT graphic, the last on the list (Wealthy Affiliate) relates to a business community that offers excellent training and support for all levels of entrepreneur. This is a free to join community with over 2-million members from across the globe offering a wealth of valuable resources for anybody with or intending to create their own online business in every niche imaginable. You can find out more here. Note that there is only one upsell which equates to less than one shop bought cup of coffee each day – US$ 0.98 cents although you can be successful without the upsell to Premium Membership.
Toolbox
There are many ways to effectively explore and advance your Personal Development. We need a box of tools to challenge the boundaries and move forward toward realizing success.
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Comments and Questions
Please leave yours below. Your thoughts or questions may well ignite a positive spark in other readers thinking. You will always receive a prompt response to your questions and there is no such thing as a bad question; only the one that was never asked.
Namasté
I bow to the place in you that is love, light, and joy
Peace & Light
Steve Costello is a British Community & Youth Studies and Psychology honors graduate with over 30-years theoretical and practical experience in the Personal Development public and private sectors. He founded ExGro in 2018 with business partner, friend and clinical psychologist, Leo Faerberg.