When we plant a flower garden, there is a plan in place. We intentionally select flowers of different varieties that are correct for the climate, sunlight available, and soil. There is an intuitive understanding of what we hope our garden will look like and be.
We tend the garden, nurturing it all along the way. And, if we are patient and intentionally committed to creating what we envisioned, with the right conditions, our garden grows, and it grows more beautiful. We feel grateful to have something that brings us such joy.
With proper care, nourishment, and cultivation, we see that our garden and the goals that have helped grow the garden are achieved, and our effort has been successful. Looking back on what we have created, possibly, we begin to question that perhaps we could do more; that our garden could be more.
What if I added another type of flower? What if I paired flowers that were even more compatible with one another? What if I harvested the seeds and shared them with others?
We begin to see more than we may have thought possible or had even imagined.
When we use the desire to plant a flower garden as a metaphor for personal spiritual growth, we might also see it as a stirring in the soul. There is a strong and steady longing to grow and give life- “to decorate” our soul. What if we approached accelerating spiritual growth in the same way as planting and growing a beautiful garden?
It takes patience and persistence to accelerate more spiritually, and a firm commitment to make time and space to grow with intention. Once we have spiritual goals with a spiritual growth plan in place, just as we did when we imagined our garden, we may come to realize, the results we desire are attainable.
Achieving Spiritual growth is an ongoing process. Just as someone on a personal growth journey knows until we take our last breath, there is always something more to develop, learn, create, and master. Spiritual growth is the same; it is as challenging as it is rewarding.
Making any positive change in our lives, spiritual or personal, is a choice.
We examine why we want to grow or change and what is required to make that happen.
We also need to be aware of our limitations, expectations, and how much time and energy we are willing to commit.
Achieve Spiritual Growth- Start Small and Simple
Spiritual growth requires becoming more aware of your role here on earth. How we can contribute to the greater good and have a greater connection to God, the Divine, or our Higher Power are, to name a few, spiritual goals. Having inner peace, loving and satisfying relationships, being more fulfilled, and discovering our higher purpose is what we aim to achieve.
Become a Student of Yourself First
What each of us does on a personal level is crucial to all of humanity. Our choices determine how we wish to live, love, and create. If we aspire to create a more peaceful, loving, and kinder world, we need to embody those principles within each of us first.
Knowing your principles or values is a starting point when looking to grow spiritually. One of the first things to consider when achieving spiritual growth is to do an inventory of some of your core values. There are several ways to know yourself better, but asking questions of yourself, is often an excellent place to start.
Ask questions often.
Be curious about your inner self. Ask what you wish to grow; with answers and reflection, you will likely meet with greater success not only spiritually, but in other areas of your life as well.
It makes more sense to know what the spiritual side of our nature is to be more effective in how we grow. Going deep within, through reflective writing, is one of the most effective practices to help you on your path to spiritual growth. Writing as a Form of Spiritual Transformation will help you gain clarity, focus, and motivation as you journey on your way to achieving increased spiritual growth.
What are some spiritual goals?
Goal setting is something we rely on to achieve more and be more. We set goals daily for becoming more healthy, wealthy, and wise. We change our diets, make budgets to increase our income, and learn about everything we want to or need to know in various ways.
When we take the time and commit to defining spiritual goals for ourselves, and meet those goals, we experience inner peace, better relationships and feel that our life is more meaningful.
A spiritual goal that positively impacts you and helps make you a better version of yourself is worthwhile.
- Be creative in your thinking about what the spiritual goal should look like. Here are a few to consider:
- Set aside 10 minutes to read a sacred text, Bible passage or a or a spiritual book
- Spend 15 minutes in nature daily
- Learn how to listen to your intuition
- Stay quiet- at least once a day, turn off all technology
- Pray at least once a day
- Organize a book club and choose a religious or spiritual book to study and reflect on
- Learn how to meditate with an expert meditator
- Learn how to chant
- Learn how to nurture yourself more
- Join or organize a prayer group
- Find a partner to pray with daily
- Connect by a phone call to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
Whatever goal you set for yourself, remember only you can decide if it is right for you. While any spiritual goal might be appealing, like every other goal set in life, a plan is necessary to achieve our desired destination.
Developing a Spiritual Growth Plan
When we create a spiritual growth plan for ourselves, we can realize the outcome that we want most. Setting and using specific objectives and well-designed goals are methods we can use to advance our spiritual growth.
A popular system and acronym for goal setting is S.M.A.R.T. and some (variations)
- S – Specific (or Significant).
- M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
- A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
- R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
- T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
It is used in business, education, counseling, and by individuals.
If in the past, you set spiritual goals that were too vague or not well- crafted, you may have felt frustration and failure. Using the SMART system, you will have the motivation, focus, and support necessary to ensure personal success.
The S.M.A.R.T. strategy may help you better master and accelerate your spiritual growth.
If, as an example, you have read books on prayer and have the desire to pray more effectively, now you might rephrase it with:
“I am Learning How to be more intentional in my Prayer Life so that I can participate in healing my life and the life of others.”
Specific: Who, What; I am learning a better way to pray.
Measurable: How can it be measured? Or how is it Meaningful? I will be active in daily prayer and how to improve the act of praying. I will have the tools to connect to God, the Divine, or Higher Power more purposefully. It will be meaningful for myself and to all of those that I pray for.
Attainable: I will take action. I seek guidance from my inner wisdom. I focus my energy on staying in the present moment. I use tools such as books on praying more confidently.
Two books that I turn to for guidance are The Energy of Prayer, by Thich Nhat Hanh. From this book, I read a passage every day and reflect on the passage by journaling my thoughts in a prayer journal with a calendar format.
Another book that provides guidance and wisdom with 100 prayers to choose from is Intimate Conversations with the Divine: Prayer, Guidance, and Grace, by Caroline Myss.
Relevant and Rewarding: Learning how to be more mindful in prayer, I find greater inner peace, better insight into the interdependence of all living things; I have strengthened my consciousness and understand that all are connected to the collective consciousness. I find encouragement in my skills to communicate with God and the Divine.
Time (Trackable): By using my Prayer journal with a calendar format, at a glance, I know through my inner reflections if I have achieved my goal of “Learning How to be more intentional in My Prayer Life.”
SMART goals templates are available and online for free in an image search.
Or, if the SMART system doesn’t feel like a good fit, you might also like to consider https://www.goalsontrack.com/ and their free app that will make spiritual goal achieving more appealing and worthwhile.
With every effort and step we take to grow more spiritually, by setting spiritual goals with an action plan, we can more effectively achieve our spiritual goals.
We, as spiritual beings, are works in progress. We recognize the need to feel more hopeful that our contributions during this time while alive, can make some difference, no matter how small.
For all of us, the objective of our life- is to be able to use our talents and abilities to become the very best versions of ourselves. Doing anything less is not what we came here to do.
Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our recommendations, reviews, and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.