This season is for renewal and release. There have been circumstances beyond my control throughout the past year that I have had to release and learn how to move forward. And with each incident, I decided to find the value and the lessons lying beneath the surface to help myself grow as a leader and as a person. When dealing with a difficult situation, it is hard to figure out the facts from the stories and the needs from the wants.
I invite you to try implementing a SWOT analysis when you are dealing with something challenging so you can take yourself out of the equation. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. There are tons of resources online to assist with this process and help ask yourself the right questions to make the best decision for you. I also want to emphasize the importance of YOU in the analysis: How it makes YOU feel, what results YOU want, and what fears YOU may have regarding the situation or person.
I have recently divorced. And I didn’t want to feel like I ‘wasted’ all the time or that nothing positive came from the situation. So I did a SWOT analysis to determine the value of the relationship and the value of the divorce. This helped me understand myself better and deal with the grief that accompanied the ending of something I didn’t ever expect to end.
Take a paper and write two lines -- one down the middle horizontally and one vertically. Then, put the letter ‘S’ in the upper left, ‘W’ in the upper right, ‘O’ in the lower left, and ‘T’ in the lower right. I found I jump around from one to the other as I am realize new discoveries through other items I have listed. You can use this method to break down any issue or relationship. Sometimes it takes me days to feel like I have everything written down and sometimes it pours out of me quickly. The process is yours and should be given the time it needs for you to express all your feelings and facts around a situation.
When I review my SWOT, I ask myself, can I live with the weaknesses and threats or do without the strengths and the opportunities? What am I sacrificing in the face of the situation and what am I gaining? It can be profound experience to see the work after finishing and I think it could help you, too.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season; remember that the season is for YOU to enjoy what you have and to find gratitude in all those things. What you focus on grows -- so focus on the positive and watch it flourish. It is a time to slow down and take inventory; to pray or meditate and prepare yourself for 2023. You are all part of the tribe, you are all worthy, and you are all valuable. If you ever need someone to talk to or to get you out of a funk, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are humans and we are going to have emotions that are across the board. You don’t need to punish yourself for how you feel. Own it and breathe it in. Recognize what it is and work to get to where you want to be.
And then, as many people say, put on your big person panties and get ‘er done'!
