In the world of work, it can often feel like you’re on a treadmill that’s going a touch too fast. You rush from meeting to meeting, race through tasks and try desperately not to drown under a sea of emails. The constant move from one thing to the next means it’s easy to skip out on taking the time to pause and reflect. 

That’s a mistake. If we want our career to be fulfilling, it’s vital we approach it with some proper purpose and consideration… and that requires some space and time to think. 

This is a big part of why Deneen L. Garrett, a career coach, podcaster and women’s empowerment speaker, recommends that everyone – whether you’re happy in your current job, want to do something different or aren’t sure what you should be doing – tries something called a ‘personal SWOT analysis’. 

SWOT stands for strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. The idea is that any business should get to grips with all of these things – their strengths, their weaknesses, opportunities for growth and threats that could make achieving goals difficult – before they get going on creating a strategy. 

But we can apply this same lens to ourselves when it comes to work. Garrett advises asking yourself to identify:

Strengths: “A strong attribute or inherent asset,” Garrett explains. “What advantages do you have that others don’t have (for example, skills, certifications, education or connections)?

Weaknesses: “The quality or state of being weak (lacking skill or proficiency). What tasks do you usually avoid because you don’t feel confident doing them?”

Opportunities: “A good chance for advancement or progress. What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people via the internet?”

Threats: “What obstacles do you currently face?”

“Identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is an eye-opener that can lead to opportunities as well as let you know what to avoid,” Garrett tells Stylist. “By doing a SWOT on yourself, you learn what you excel at, what you don’t do well, things you can do and hindrances are revealed.

“Anyone looking to improve themselves, level up or start a new career should do a SWOT. Like with a resume, it’s good practice to conduct a SWOT analysis every six to 12 months. You get to check in with yourself and pivot as necessary. This way you don’t have to wait until you’re starting a new job or unsure of what to do to SWOT yourself. You will already have a map of and about you and can just tweak, by asking relevant questions, as applicable.”

Doing a SWOT analysis can help you get career clarity. It can help you figure out your next move, and ultimately which path is right for you. 

Carve out time to do this 

Your SWOT analysis shouldn’t be something you dip in and out of while multi-tasking. Give yourself a solid window of time where you can focus in and give this task the focus it deserves, with no distractions or interruptions. 

Don’t get into a self-deprecation spiral

“It’s human nature to dwell on the negative, which can drain us mentally,” Garrett notes. “A better practice is to be aware of your weaknesses and not let them get in your way.” 

When it comes to listing off your weaknesses, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of judging yourself harshly for what you note down. Or getting so caught up in listing all your weaknesses that your tally far outweighs your strengths. The ‘weaknesses’ part of your SWOT analysis is not a time for self-deprecation. Instead, it’s an opportunity to acknowledge areas where you’re not as strong… but it’s on your strengths and opportunities that your energy should be spent.

Let go of self-criticism

“At first, you may struggle to come up with strengths, and are too critical,” Garrett notes. “Pause. Breathe. Reset. Use technology. Google is our friend. Search for more questions to ask. Check out MindTools. Lean into your relationships/networks/connections. Ask them the questions you’re struggling with. And most importantly, give yourself grace.”

Remember that this is information, not the be-all and end-all

Don’t feel like your SWOT analysis has doomed you to a certain career path. Just because your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats seem to be pointing in a certain direction, that doesn’t mean all other options are closed off. 

“A SWOT analysis provides information,” Garrett says. “You choose what you do with it. You are in control of you.”

And remember that your SWOT is not set in stone 

“A SWOT matrix is a framework for analysing your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats that you face,” Garrett says. “This helps you focus on your strengths, minimise your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available to you.”

Something that’s a weakness now doesn’t always have to be a weakness. Knowing that it’s something you struggle with is a nudge to do what you can to improve in this area. 

Try a worksheet

We don’t know why, but sometimes having a printout of a task makes it feel far easier to do. The framework is helpful, and so is the slight ‘homework’ nostalgia. This worksheet is free and keeps things simple, or if you prefer something more aesthetically pleasing, you can find a bunch of templates on Adobe – we like this one – or make up your own on Canva in whichever colours you fancy. 

Take your next steps

Once you’ve done your personal SWOT analysis… then what? It’s time to use what you’ve learned to make a concrete plan. 

Garrett says: “When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me. Be like Beyoncé; let what you learn transform you into a better you. 

“Get to work. Take action. Make a plan. As I did for my corporate role, create a strategy and then get to work implementing it. You may uncover it’s time to lean into your strengths and pursue a new career, start a business, learn something new.”

Images: Getty