Personal Goal Setting – A ‘How to’ for Christians

Personal goal setting is linked to personal success but somehow many Christians question whether or not they should set goals. Once convinced that it’s a good idea, the question then becomes ‘how’. Today we will answer both questions in this how-to guide on personal goal setting for Christians.

Why Set Goals

Self-development expert and coach Brian Tracy set out six reasons why personal goal setting is important. Having seen the benefit of setting goals in his own life, Tracy shared these 6 reasons:

1. Goals give you focus
2. Goals help you measure progress
3. Goals help you stay motivated
4. Goals help you beat procrastination
5. You achieve even more
6. Goals help you determine what you want

Goal-Setting for Christians

Apart from the very practical reasons for setting goals, it is my firm belief that God wants us to excel in all we do. That’s why goals are so important and it’s no surprise that we find references to vision, plans and goals in the Bible. Below are just a few examples.

Goal Setting Inspiration from God’s Word

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. ~ Proverbs 29:18 

May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. ~ Psalm 20:4

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:14

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. ~ Proverbs 15:22

As mentioned before, it’s one thing to know that goals are important but it’s another thing to know how to set goals and that’s what we’ll look at next.

How to Set Goals

When it comes to personal goal setting for Christians, you will find that the way we go about it is influenced by our faith. So, while some of what I share here is similar to other goal setting processes, it is first and foremost grounded in a desire to live out God’s plans for our lives. When we set goals, we are seeking to fulfill God’s purposes, not our own — that is the distinction here.

When Christians set goals we are seeking to fulfill God's purpose, not our own. Share on X

With that in mind, I’ve developed a goal-setting system based on:

• my own experience with goal-setting;
• my professional experience as a strategic planner;
• tips from leading experts in the area; and
• the good old, power-packed Word of God.

My prayer is that this will inspire and empower you on your own goal-setting journey, empowering you to walk out God’s purpose for your life.

The Spark Success Goal Setting Process for Christians

In a nutshell, there are five parts to my Spark Success goal setting process for Christians:

1. Pray
2. Choose One Word
3. Envision it
4. Set Goals
5. Live out your God-given purpose

Here are the details:

1. Pray

Starting with prayer is how we put first things first. When we pray we are acknowledging that God has a plan and a purpose for us and we want our plans and goals to be aligned with His will. Having learned the hard way what it feels like to live outside of God’s plan, I don’t want to go down that road again. So, as I make plans for the year, I start by seeking His will through prayer, fully expecting that He will lead and guide me.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

2. Choose One Word

It is usually during one of my intentional goal-setting prayer times that God gives me clarity about what He wants me to focus on. That typically includes a guiding word for the year. Obviously, a word for the year is not mandatory but I love having a word for the year to guide me throughout the year and to give focus to my goals.

In the past I’ve had words such as FULL, MORE, and REST. One year my word was ENOUGH and God continually reminded me that He was enough for me.

For inspiration in choosing your One Word read How to Choose a Word for the Year along with 25 word ideas to get you started. 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you choose to purchase through one of the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Please be assured that I only support resources that I know and trust. 

3. Envision it

For the last 5 years, my goal-setting process has included creating a Vision Board. I incorporate my One Word as well as images of my envisioned future.

A vision board is a powerful tool to keep you inspired throughout the year. One glance at your vision board reminds you of the journey you’re on and motivates you to keep going.

Even if you feel you’re not the creative type having a visual of your goals will help. Goal-setting guru Michael Hyatt keeps a typed list of his goals framed and displayed on his desk. He’s convinced that doing this one thing increases his productivity, and it shows in how successful he’s been.

4. Set Goals

This is the real meat of the matter. And truly, goal-setting really isn’t as painful as we make it out to be, unless of course you’re trying to go it alone. When God is at the helm, you’ve prayed through His will for you and sought his direction, it makes all the difference. You can then step into your year with a sure foundation.

And because I like to keep things simple, I created the Goals Made Simple series of workbooks. This is where I share tried and true tips for setting goals without the overwhelm — because who needs that. The workbooks cover goal planning, goal review and time tracking — all the key topics to set you up for success this year!

This page includes affiliate links which means if you purchase using a link here, I may receive a commission. It’s no extra cost to you and helps support this site. Please know that I only share products/resources that I love and trust and which I believe will benefit you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

5. Live it

With your goals in hand, it’s time now to live them out. To help keep me on track, I developed my Spark Success 90-Day Goal Planner system (affiliate link) to document my goals and measure my progress.

Features include:

• Goal Setting tips to get you started
• Brainstorming for key areas of your life
• Your One Word and Personal Mission Statement
• Top 10 Goals list
• Motivational quotes on purposeful living
• Planning pages with
  • Goals Progress
  • Goals Review
  • Accountability
  • Tools/Resources

Take a sneak peek of the 90-Day Spark Success Goal Planner.

Which ever planning system you choose, remember to have fun. Life, after all, is meant to be lived to the full.

Also, remember to add grace. They’re called goals for a reason, and by the very nature of the word, goals are something we’re always striving for. Should you fall short, grace abounds.

What about you?

Do you set goals for your year?

Are you excited as we prepare to enter a new year? I hope you are, and if not, I pray that these 5 steps will be the motivation you need.

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Don’t go it alone

As you move forward toward your goals you need support. Book a free clarity call to see how I can support you.