How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis for Your Personal Goals

ByMercedes Diane Griffin Forbes

Before you attempt to take on any goal, you must ask yourself do you have what you need to be successful in achieving that goal. A SWOT Analysis is a tool that helps you do just that.

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT Analysis a valuable tool that will give you a thorough lay of the land in which you operate. It will give you the knowledge you need to make sure you can properly lay out your goal game plan.

The first thing you will want to consider in your SWOT Analysis is what are the positive things that exist in your world that are helpful to you?

  • Which of these things is within your control (internal)?
  • Which of these things isn’t within your control (external)?
The things that are within your control are your Strengths.
Those that are outside of your control are your Opportunities.

The next thing you will want to consider in your SWOT Analysis is what are the negative things that exist in your world that are harmful to you?

  • Which of these things is within your control (internal)?
  • Which of these things isn’t within your control (external)?
The things that are within your control are your Weaknesses.
Those that are outside of your control are your Threats.
Now, think about a SMART goal that you have set for yourself.

List 3 things that fit each criterion.

After you have listed your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, you need to start thinking strategically about how you can use this information to help you be successful.

Go back to your SMART goal and answer the following questions.

This is your goal game plan!

  1. For each Strength you have listed, ask yourself:
    • How do I use this strength to take advantage of an Opportunity, mitigate a weakness, or neutralize a Threat?
  2. For each Weakness you have listed, ask yourself:
    • How do I shore up this weakness so that I can strengthen my effectiveness in working towards my goal?
  3. For each Opportunity you have listed, ask yourself:
    • How can I invest my resources so that I can take advantage of this opportunity?
  4. For each Threat you have listed, ask yourself:
    • How can I ward off, eliminate, or neutralize this threat so that it doesn’t keep me from achieving my goal?

See my article, “How to Make a Plan to Achieve Your Goals,” for more information about how to determine what your objectives should be, what activities you will engage in to help you meet those objectives, and what outcomes you expect to measure alongside those activities.