Spirituality goals enhance our lives by providing a sense of purpose.
What is Spirituality?
Defined as “the quality or state of being spiritual,” spirituality provides a sense that something greater than the ‘self’ exists.
Spirituality is often thought to have two core elements:
- The quest to find meaning
- The process of learning to be in a relationship
These elements help to shape a sense of purpose and offer a glimmer of possibility. When there’s more to look forward to, exploring what may be possible becomes a fulfilling endeavour. Even when the outcome might not be apparent, spirituality can provide a sense of wholeness and peace to our lives.
What is a Spirituality Goal?
A spirituality goal provides a sense of direction to explore something that you can not taste, see, smell, or touch. It is a goal to explore the concept of a higher power, or the desire to ask questions of oneself.
Setting spiritual goals does not require any set of religious beliefs. It can be any activity that nurtures a person’s spirit and soul. It simply requires a desire to experience life in a new and different way. For most people, the spiritual path is prompted by discomfort, struggle, or suffering.
Some spiritual goals are prompted by specific questions, like “Where do I belong?” “What does it mean to be true to myself?” or “Is there life after death?”.
Whatever the question, a spirituality goal helps with:
- Interpreting your experience in the world
- Developing a new set of problem-solving skills
- Enhancing your sense of compassion
Spiritual Goals in a Material World
So frequently, we’re working toward a physical, material objective. We work hard to earn money to buy a house. We work hard at the gym to change our physical fitness. Once these goals have been achieved, people often struggle with the question:
What happens once all the material goals are achieved?
‘Cause, we’re living in a material world…. Some people never realise that they’re on a constant treadmill of achieving. Others grow discontented and embittered, convinced their lives to have no purpose. Still, others take another path: they chose to explore a greater power.
There are several options:
- find more goals in the material world and live a life of excess
- give up and believe there’s nothing to look forward to
- develop a sense of spirituality
Setting Spirituality Goals
Spirituality goals give life a purpose. In a world where practically everything is attainable, spirituality is the last bastion of the unexplored world.
And truly, it is unexplored. No one has the same experience as you. Your experience may be similar to a friend, but in truth, spirituality is a new unchartered territory. While moral precepts and codes may be assigned by some spiritual groups, finding a sense of independent spiritual purpose comes from exploring your own spiritual goals.
Explore What Matters to You
a) What do you wish to cultivate in your life?
Are you looking for greater presence and peace? If so, these goals suggest mindfulness practice.
Are you looking for a connection with spirit? If so, prayer or shamanic journeying may fit the bill.
The key is to understand what you’re looking for. Setting a spirituality goal requires personal awareness.
b) What Prompted Your Desire to Set Spirituality Goals?
For those people who choose a spiritual exploration, goal setting can be distilled into intention and cause. Take a moment to consider why you’re looking to set spiritual goals. Is there a sense of discomfort you wish to address? Do you wish to explore a niggling doubt that nothing exists outside the present moment?
c) Goal setting with intention is essential on this spiritual path.
Some individuals are looking for something different to believe in to ease the discomfort of the modern world. However, these seekers may not have taken the time to understand the WHY behind their spirituality. Understanding the why can direct the what (goal) and how (tactics).
Take steps to understand what’s essential and what you’re forcing yourself to do. You’ll notice a difference between what feels right and what you’re forcing yourself to do. When you force, you often experience discomfort and are less likely to continue with the practice. When you enjoy practicing, you’ll look forward to it. Use your inner sense of knowing to guide your choices when exploring your spiritual goals.
Living In Right Alignment.
In an era – specifically a year – fraught with racial injustice, global illness, and political strife, the concept of living in the right relation is particularly poignant.
The concept suggests that each and every one of us have a sense of internal alignment. When we’re out of synch with that alignment, we no longer feel (both physically and emotionally) on track. Life doesn’t run smoothly.
Choosing to live with a set of spiritual goals can shift this perspective and enable us to live in the right alignment. When your goals don’t match what you value (like time in nature, outings with family, giving back to the community), you’ll often feel a little funky. Pay attention to the felt sensation. Don’t live by a sense of obligation. Remember: there is no certificate of achievement for setting a spiritual goal. The achievement is personal expansion.
The Quest for Wholeness and Acceptance
Spiritual development offers a host of benefits. From greater compassion to a sense of presence, setting spirituality goals can utterly change your life. Spirituality supports a quest for wholeness that reaches beyond self-interest. When we’re living in the right alignment, we not only feel more comfortable in our own lives, but we also live in harmony with the people around us.
If setting spirituality goals means we become more loving and compassionate humans, it seems a challenge the world could really benefit from.
