“Raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by your own self-destruction.” – Mean Girls.

(K, lies. I’m paraphrasing a bit.)

We’re all guilty of getting a little sidetracked from our goals, or even from properly prioritizing what we want to get done. (Even if there’s something to be said for living spontaneously and taking open opportunities… but we shall touch on that another day.)

How do you recover from getting derailed?

For me, this is a work-in-progress.

In the past I’ve touched on my knack for getting distracted or how writing things down is the only way I’m sure to get things done, but this continues to be a challenge for me.

In the constant juggling act that is life, I’ve realized assessment is needed on a regular basis to keep me focused and well prioritized in both my personal and professional lives.

So, being the overly analytical dork that I am, I decided to schedule myself a biweekly SWOT analysis. For anyone who’s not familiar, this is an acronym many companies use to gauge where they’re currently sitting, where they’re headed, and what potential hurdles are on the horizon. SWOT standing for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.

Make this as in-depth as you’d like, but as said, I like to take shortcuts so this is my current overview:

***

STRENGTHS:

• I’m surrounded by more kick-ass broads than I realized – and each connection seems to open an even larger network
• Blog has an amazing new look and incredible new content pending

WEAKNESSES:

• Lack of self-control
• Perfectionism, emotional attachment, and curiosity don’t lend themselves to opening and closing blogs
• Not being concise enough

OPPORTUNITIES:

• Work travel and networking in the next couple of weeks
• A few exciting collaborations coming up – but I can’t give away everything!

THREATS:

• Overlapping time schedules with work, blog, and social obligations

***

BOOM! To the point and just gives me a conscious little snapshot of where I stand.

Not only has it kept me on track, I’m being less hard on myself. It’s kind of nice to see your accomplishments in front o you, and acknowledge your wins – no matter how small.

Photo Cred: Amber Reyelle Photography

*Full-disclosure small print: I don’t do this all the time, I get distracted.*