Setting goals personally and professionally is a crucial step to implement to ensure success. Here are the 10 Commandments of Goal Setting:

1. Be Passionate

Be passionate about your goals so that you are motivated to achieve them. Scratch off any goals on your list that you are not willing to do anything it takes to accomplish them.

2. Be Realistic

When you choose goals for yourself, it is okay to dream, but you want to be as realistic as possible. You do not want to become discouraged when you don’t achieve a specific goal. Choose time frames that are reasonable and goals that are a stretch from where you are today.

3. Write your goals down

Writing your goals down will lead to an increased chance of achieving them. Write them all down and then prioritise them in order of personal importance.

4. Be Detailed

Every goal should have a time frame and amount assigned to them. For example, "I would like to increase sales by 10% by the end of the year"; instead of, "I would like to increase sales for my business".

5. Be Accountable

To become successful at achieving your goals, you will need to hold yourself accountable by scheduling regular check points for progress review.

6. Ask for Help

Mentors and other professionals are valuable tools to help you in achieving your goals.

7. Have Integrity

Do what you say that you are going to do.

8. Be Persistent

Keep going until you reach your goals. Don’t give up prematurely.

9. Be Prepared for Failure

If you fail, set a new goal and keep going. Most successful people fail at some point, and most business owners will tell you that they have failed numerous times on the way to becoming successful.

10. Reward Yourself

Choose a reward for each goal that will encourage you to work hard to achieve them. You are more likely to work hard when there is a reward at the end of the process.

To apply goal setting to your business, read my article called, "5 Reasons why a Business Plan is Essential for your Business".