Setting spiritual goals is not a difficult task to undertake. So, if setting spiritual goals is not hard, why do so many fail to follow through? Even with the help and guidance of a spiritual coach.  
That question reminds me of an old saying:
“No body plans to fail, but they simply fail to plan.”

I don’t know how old that saying is but I have heard it all my life. What a wise, but and very simple statement that never goes out of style. It is timeless.

Goal setting can be done in solitude or with the guidance of a spiritual coach, either way it’s important to get started because 50% of the work is in taking the first step.

When setting goals, the first step is to spend some time in solitude and to ask yourself some questions regarding your spiritual status. This is the most important step because it sets the tone for the rest of your goal setting and the ability to achieve them. You may already know what you want to ask and focus on, but if you don’t here are a few to get you started.

• What are my spiritual beliefs? What do I firmly believe? Is there anything that I am uncertain or unsure of?
• Are there things I should be doing that I am not?
• Are there things I am doing that I need to change or stop?

Take time and think about each question and mentally formulate your answers to them. The answers to these questions become your spiritual goal rough draft.

The second step of spiritual goal setting is to put pen to paper and write down the goals from the above rough draft. Feel free to revise the goals and even the questions at this point. There are no right or wrong answers, but keep in mind it is easier to achieve a specific goal than a broad, loose goal. For example, “I will pray more” is very broad and generalized and is easy to ignore. “I will pray each morning upon awakening but before rising from bed and I will pray every evening upon retiring to bed.” This is more specific and requires a regimen.

Depending on your goals, you should set a time frame for achievement. Yearly goals are sometimes too easy to put off until another day, but if you put yourself on a monthly time frame you will be more likely to attend to your goals in a timely manner.

The third step for spiritual goal setting is to visualize the goals you wish to achieve. You can do this in your mind anytime anywhere, but actually creating a poster board depicting colorful examples of your goals and hanging it in a place where you spend quite a bit of time, will reinforce your goals and ideas by bringing them to mind each time you gaze at the poster.

Again, this can be achieved on your own or under the guidance of a spiritual coach. A spiritual life coach can create a customized plan based on your goals and values as well as keep you accountable, which can be very valuable.