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ADAPT
Pre-planning position assessment
Assess Your Start Point
The ADAPT model is a five-step framework for conducting a reality check before starting any major personal or business goal. By assessing your start point, you can better understand how to create a success plan that will minimize challenges and optimize progress. Below is an explanation of each component with actionable suggestions.
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1.
Advantages/Assets
Definition
The identification and evaluation of available resources, skills, or inherent strengths that can positively contribute to achieving a goal. This includes tangible assets (e.g., tools, time) and intangible advantages (e.g., expertise, relationships).
Action
Identify tangible resources (e.g., finances, tools, networks) and intangible strengths (e.g., skills, experience, mindset) that can contribute to your goal. Assess how effectively you’re using them and recognize any underutilized advantages. Consider past successes—what worked before that can be applied now?
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What To Do
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List Physical Resources
Time, money, tools, workspace, networks.
Example: “10 hours/week, $2K budget, laptop, LinkedIn connections.”
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Note Skills & Knowledge
Expertise, certifications, past wins, personal traits (creativity, resilience).
Example: “Graphic design skills, project management certification, reputation for meeting deadlines.”
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Map Your Support System
Mentors, collaborators, communities.
Example: “Marketing mentor, freelance writer partner, industry Slack group.”
Ask Yourself
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What tangible resources (time, money, tools) do I already control?
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How might my existing networks or infrastructure support progress?
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Which skills, knowledge, or traits give me a unique advantage?
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What past successes or lessons can inform my current approach?
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Who in my network has expertise or resources that could help?
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How might my reputation or relationships create opportunities?
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2.
Disadvantages/Deficiencies
Definition
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The identification of gaps, limitations, weaknesses, or constraints—both internal and external—that could hinder your progress. These are the conditions, skill shortages, or structural barriers that make achieving your goal more difficult.
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Action
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List the skills, resources, or knowledge you lack. Note time constraints, budget shortfalls, and systemic or environmental obstacles. Consider recurring mistakes or habits that could resurface, and plan to mitigate them before they slow you down.
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What To Do
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Spot Skills/Resource Gaps
Missing expertise, tight budget, time conflicts.
Example: “No video editing experience, only 5 hours/week available.”
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Flag External Obstacles
Competition, regulations, supply chain issues.
Example: “Local laws restrict home-based businesses.”
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Acknowledge Trade-Offs
Sacrifices required (time, money, energy).
Example: “Pausing freelance work to focus on this project.”
Ask Yourself
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What skills, knowledge, or resources am I lacking to achieve this goal?
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What recurring mistakes or patterns from past efforts could resurface?
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What external factors (e.g., regulations, competition) could block progress?
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Are there dependencies (e.g., partners, suppliers) that pose risks?
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What compromises or reallocations (time, budget, energy) will this goal demand?
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3.
Attitude
Definition
Your mindset toward the goal—confidence, fears, assumptions, openness to change, and resilience under pressure. Attitude determines how you interpret challenges, persist through setbacks, and adapt your approach.
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Action
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Assess your current confidence level and what underpins it. Identify fears, doubts, or negative beliefs that could undermine execution. Consider your willingness to adjust plans when new information emerges. Identify motivators that will sustain effort over time.
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What To Do
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Check Your Confidence
What makes you feel capable? What makes you doubt yourself?
Example: “I’ve handled similar projects, but I’m nervous about public speaking.”
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Name Your Fears
Anxiety about failure, burnout, or criticism.
Example: “Worried I’ll run out of steam halfway through.”
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Test Your Flexibility
How open are you to changing your approach?
Example: “I’ll adjust deadlines if client feedback delays the project.”
Ask Yourself
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What evidence or experiences support my confidence in achieving this goal?
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What assumptions (positive or negative) am I making about my ability to succeed?
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What motivates or excites me about pursuing this goal?
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What fears, doubts, or stressors could undermine my efforts?
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How have past successes or failures shaped my willingness to try new approaches?
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Am I open to adjusting my expectations or methods if circumstances change?
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4.
Potentials (Opportunities & Risks)
Definition
The external conditions and emerging possibilities that could either accelerate or obstruct your progress. Opportunities are factors you can exploit for an advantage; risks are factors that could disrupt or derail you.
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Action
Scan your environment for trends, openings, and partnerships that align with your goal. Identify external threats such as market changes, competition, or timing issues. Map best-case and worst-case scenarios to prepare adaptive responses.
What To Do
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Find Opportunities
Trends, partnerships, untapped strengths.
Example: “Growing demand for eco-friendly products aligns with my brand.”
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Prepare for Risks
Market shifts, competitor moves, internal burnout.
Example: “A recession could reduce customer spending.”
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Plan for Best/Worst Cases
Best-case: “Partnership doubles sales.”
Worst-case: “Supply chain delays halt production.”
Ask Yourself
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What trends, partnerships, or events could accelerate progress?
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How might my strengths (Step 1) amplify these opportunities?
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What external risks (e.g., market volatility, supply chain disruptions) could derail efforts?
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How might my deficiencies (Step 2) exacerbate these obstacles?
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What would a best-case outcome look like? What factors enable it?
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What would a worst-case scenario involve? What vulnerabilities enable it?
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5.
Trust (Basis for Confidence)
Definition
The degree to which your confidence in success is grounded in reality—based on proven capabilities, reliable systems, and stable support rather than assumptions or wishful thinking.
Action
Identify the concrete evidence, systems, and past results that justify your belief in success. Stress-test your plan by asking “What if this fails?” and outlining backup strategies. Separate untested assumptions from verified strengths to ensure your confidence is warranted.
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What To Do
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List Reliable Strengths
Proven skills, solid plans, reliable support.
Example: “My team has shipped 5 successful projects together.”
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Flag Unreliable Assumptions
Over-reliance on luck, untested ideas, unstable factors.
Example: “Assuming customers will love our new feature without testing.”
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Stress-Test Your Plan
What if a key partner backs out? What if funding falls through?
Example: “If the investor says no, we’ll crowdfund instead.”
Ask Yourself
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What specific actions, resources, or systems form the basis of my confidence?
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Where does my trust reside most: personal capabilities, external support, or circumstances?
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What dependencies (e.g., key partnerships, funding deadlines) pose risks if they fail?
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Am I assuming outcomes without evidence (e.g., “I’ll stay motivated indefinitely”)?
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What past achievements inform my confidence? What made them possible?
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What unverified beliefs underpin my expectations of success?
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ADAPT is a tool to recognize your starting point. Use it to identify what you have (resources, skills, support), what’s working against you (gaps, limitations, threats), how your mindset shapes your approach (confidence, fears, adaptability), what opportunities or risks lie ahead, and whether your confidence is grounded in reality. Record your answers. This isn’t about motivation—it documents a snapshot of where you stand at the outset of your endeavor. This will give you a potentially useful reference. ADAPT doesn’t guarantee success, but it helps you get started with a clear understanding of your situation—eliminating guesswork and positioning you to achieve success sooner rather than later.
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