The Ten Commandments of Goal-Setting

1.  

Thou Shall Be Decisive

Success is a choice. You must decide what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it. No one else can, will, or should do that for you.

2.  

Thou Shall Stay Focused

A close relative to being decisive, but your ability to sustain your focus from beginning to end determines the timing and condition of your outcomes.

3.  

Thou Shall Welcome Failure

The fundamental question is not whether you should accept failure. You have no choice but to expect it as a temporary condition on the path way of progress. Rather, the question is how to anticipate failure and redirect resources to grow from the experience.

4.  

Thou Shall Write Down Thy Goals

Your mind while blessed with permanent memory is cursed with lousy recall. People forget things. Avoid the temptation of being cute; Write down your goals. 

5.  

Thou Shall Plan Thoroughly

Planning saves 10 to 1 in execution. Proper planning prevents poor performance.

6.  

Thou Shall Involve Others

Nobody goes through life alone. Establish your own "Personal Board of Directors", people whose wisdom, knowledge and character you respect to help you achieve your goals.

7.  

Thou Shall Take Purposeful Action

Success is not a spectator sport - achievement demands action. You cannot expect to arrive at success without having made the trip.

8.  

Thou Shall Reward Thyself

Rewards work! Think of what you will give yourself as a result of your hard work, focus and persistence - you deserve it!

9.  

Thou Shall Inspect What Thy Expect

The Shelf life of all plans is limited. No plan holds up against opposition. Everything changes. Therefore inspect frequently and closely, it's an insurance policy on your success.

10.  

Thou Shall Maintain Personal Integrity

Maintain your commitment to your commitment. Set your goals, promise yourself that you will achieve them. Eliminate wiggle room and excuses. That's personal integrity!