Opportunities, Don’t Miss The Life Changing Ones

We miss opportunities when we are not honest with ourselves.

Not missing opportunities starts with honest reflection, self-perception, and our life choices. Consider these few questions:

• Do you question your life choices often? Whether it’s your career choice, your personal or business relationships.
• Do you compare yourself to others? Friends, family members, even your neighbor?
• And finally, the last question. Do you feel as if everyone is accomplishing more, but you are stagnant?

Not sure what I mean by stagnant? Consider these clues: The things you do each day feel redundant or that you are on autopilot. Everything you try to accomplish takes effort. Not because you don’t know how, but because you lack the initiative. You can read more about stagnation and how to get out of rut in the post published recently right here on Fullrliving. Don’t have the time to read it? Then listen to the podcast.

The purpose of the above three questions is to help you realize perhaps you are shortchanging yourself and not living up to your true potential, or in this case missing opportunities that’s right in front of you. The clues are not accepting the choices you’ve made in life, comparing by believing that others are better than you. And being envious of the accomplishment of others.

How do you know you are missing out on opportunities that can make a difference in your life?

The answer is, it’s not easily. However, it starts with awareness and acceptance. These two nouns go hand-in-hand because you cannot accept what you are not aware of.

There is a tool to reduce the likelihood of opportunities passing you by

In order to use it, coming to grips with the realization of needing to try something different and potentially reinvent yourself is the first step. Then it’s having the right resources you need to support your efforts, no matter how big or small.

A resource that would benefit your efforts to open your eyes to miss-opportunities, is one that’s used often in the world of business. Remember this, just because it’s business oriented, it doesn’t mean you can’t apply the same principle to your personal life.

That tool is a SWOT analysis. This is a perfect way to strengthen your perception of self. It will also create the occasions to identify potential opportunities and to do something about it.

What is a SWOT analysis?

It is an acronym and a framework for identifying aspect of yourself that falls into four categories: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. If you are more of a visual learner, watch this short video for further introduction to personal SWOT Analysis. Then download your free SWOT form to identify your personal perspective in the four categories. The first page of the form explains each category. Further clarification on each is also below.

S= Strengths

These are the things you do extremely well and things you don’t. I will address the latter below. From a personal perspective and not a business one, your strength makes you unique. It’s also the thing you love to do that may be the foundation of your happiness. Your strength usually isn’t something you have to work hard at. It comes naturally. If you watch the video I mentioned above, it will explain further why strength is such an important factor when trying to take advantage of every chance presented to you.

W=Weaknesses

This category is not about self-reproach. It’s about facing up to the things you know requires effort by you. Think in terms of the things that you would spend a lot of time on because it’s not instinctive. When you waste time trying to put a square in a circle, that is when the genuine opportunities pass you by.

O=Opportunities

It’s the core of what this post is about. It’s allowing yourself to see opportunities in front of you because you understand your strength, and embrace your weaknesses, therefore creating the advantages you need to see the possibilities you want to explore in order to achieve the objectives you have in mind.

T=Threats

Threats in a personal SWOT analysis are just another way to take-charge and see the obstacles before they happen. It’s seeing the potential weaknesses and how they can affect an outcome or a goal you’ve set. Choosing an alternative solution before it derails your plans is dealing with a threat. It’s also signaling and internal alarm you want to succeed despite that impending roadblock.

To Summarize

It is easy to see how this tool can be useful when you want to make sure every opportunity presented to you; you are aware of and ready to take advantage of. A SWOT analysis from a personal perspective can help internally and externally. It helps to admit to the internal strife happening in your mind. It helps you see clearly what’s in front of you to command.

No effort is ever a hundred percent certain, but with the right tool, you can prepare to succeed. A SWOT analysis of your personal life may be that tool.