The SWOTs of life

It is the last week of 2015 … another year is coming to an end and it is always at this time I will take a moment to reflect on what that have happened and what is going to come in the new year ahead.

I like to call it looking at the SWOTs of my life … for those who are into marketing will know what SWOTs are … every year many marketing professionals will have to look into their STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS to develop strategies for their business.

For me, I look into the SWOTs of my life to better understand how I should continue to live my life in the coming years.

So what are my SWOTs ?

I think simplicity is my strength. I am all about living a simple life ... has been for many years already. And for the many more to come, I will continue to make things simple for me. I seek simplicity in all the things I do. I think simple things are the best things and I believe I am at my best in my simplest form.

What about my weakness? That will have to be my ‘hainanese wind’ (a pun meaning bad temper). So, I am the ‘windy’ type … after 53 years of life, the wind is still blowing … but it is good to know that the frequency has shortened quite a bit. Now that is a good sign … really, I think I have mellowed down a bit … so I promise I will try not to let the wind blows too often.

For opportunity … I must say it is the opportunity to learn. With time on my hand and the convenience of internet and smart devices, I can easily download videos, ebooks and even ask questions from a variety of sources. I have access to a wide range of materials to read, research and learn about subjects ranging from the simple science of cooking to the histories of the great civilizations of the world.

And the threat … this will have to be my health. As we grow old, we cannot escape the fact that our health will begin to deteriorate. Many illnesses come with age and the older we get, the more complicated it becomes. I believe that one of the ways to a healthy life is to stay active. So, I will continue to live an active life … trek the jungles and mountains, work on my wood recycling projects, play my weekly badminton games and do the morning walks with my wife … and I hope to do all these for as many years as possible.

Each of us will have our very own SWOTs of life … it is good to identify what your strength is and how it can benefits you, where your weakness is and how can you change it, what opportunity is available and how can you use it and where is your threat and how to deal with it.

Really, take a moment to look at your life ... look at every areas ... see what you need to stop doing and what you need to start ... do it while you still can. With that, I am sure we can all have a better year ahead and many more good years to come.

Happy New Year to all !!!