Are you a green SWOT?

Today’s is an interesting change the world Wednesday challenge because if I’m honest, I don’t really understand it!

I came across the term SWOT a few months ago and I never really got what it was all about, but this week I’m going to have to do some homework.

Our challenge reads:

This week, perform a SWOT analysis (modified for green living). Looking at your own green living efforts, analyze the following:

S = Strengths (your own strengths)

W = Weaknesses (again your own)

O = Opportunities (external factors that might allow you to be even greener)

T = Threats (external factors that threaten your green living)

And then …

Report back with your results. Did the analysis surprise you? Will you be making any changes based on the results? We’d like to know all!

According to one site, the SWOT analysis headings provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition, or any other idea. I found this template which helps you plan your SWOT analysis and here’s what I came up with:

 Strengths 

• knowledgeable (been doing the ‘green thing’ for about 12 years)
• husband on board and daughter willing!
• Living in rural area makes some aspects easier than town living
• Work from home means less commuting
• Have given up long haul flights
• Access to internet to find things out
• Good network of green bloggers to pick up advice, tips and support from
• Mr Green and I both resourceful and practical

Weaknesses

• ‘need’ a 4×4 (long story)
• lack of time to do gardening in order to grow food
• lack of time to cook from scratch all the time
• lack of time to green clean all the time (sometimes I stick bleach down the toilet and hope for the best)
• Limited money (would like to install more solar panels, have underground heating, electric car etc)
• Unable to walk to local shops due to location
• I procrastinate and can be lazy

Opportunities

• Cost may come down as demand increases
• More and more technologies coming on board as demand increases
• Finances may change leading to more disposable income for investment in green technology
• Opportunity next year to prioritise 1/2 hour each day in the garden to grow food

Threats

• Finances may decrease meaning we’re forced to buy ‘cheaper’ options to things like fairtrade and organic products
• Price increases to diesel might mean I cannot support farm shops and have to shop online at a supermarket
• Mr Green may get sick, meaning he can’t collect and chop wood which would mean I’d have to use electric heating, he wouldn’t be able to maintain solar panels and I might not be able to afford to get them looked after etc…

I’m still not sure I fully understand the point of the SWOT analysis, but then I’m not a planner; I’m more of a ‘suck it and see’ kinda gal.

From looking at my results I’m not sure I’ve learned anything, nor am I sure how I would use that information to create a strategy.

After spending a few years working in large corporations, I’m anti meetings, systems and reports that are a load of guff which detract from the real issues of getting out there and taking action, so perhaps SWOT is simply a system that doesn’t really speak my language.

I tend not to think about the things that might go wrong, particularly those that are outside my control because, well, they’re outside of my control and hey, they might not happen anyway! Also, being aware of the Law of Attraction I try not to dwell on the scary stuff, preferring to focus on the positive.

I know what I need to do; it’s the same for every area in my life from maintaining my filing cabinet to housework – I need to put my procrastination and laziness to one side, stop making excuses and do what I need to do.

These are my biggest weaknesses, but they require deeper changes than seeing it written down on an analysis form…

What about you – have you ever performed a SWOT analysis? Was it useful for you?