Most people never stop to ask themselves: What is the goal of my spiritual life? We set goals for our health, finances, and careers. But when asked about the goal of their spiritual life, most people pause, reach for vague language, or offer something aspirational—but undefined.
Most people don’t consider setting a goal for their spiritual life. Some even believe—strongly—that spirituality should be free of goals. Often, after years of experiencing the need to set goals in many areas of life, they’ve developed goal fatigue. For them, spirituality becomes an escape—a space where they can “just be.” In a world consumed by goals, milestones, successes, and failures, not setting goals can feel like freedom.
“Just being” does not help you unfold spirituality. A mind that lacks clarity offers a response that lacks clarity. It may sound obvious—but it isn’t to many. Vagueness is born from a mind without clarity. Simplicity, precision, specificity—these are the children of clarity. The way we respond reveals which family we belong to.
Our life is peppered with goals, from the seemingly mundane to the important. Getting to the bathroom on time is a goal. Having a meal is a goal. There’s nothing wrong with goals. But too many of them can feel overwhelming.
It’s difficult to define a spiritual goal if you haven’t clearly articulated the philosophy you align with. Your philosophy doesn’t just influence your goal—it defines it precisely. Change your philosophy, and your goal changes with it.
In the Abrahamic religions, the goal is often centered on salvation, or entering the Kingdom of Heaven—being in the presence of God… in heaven. In many Eastern traditions, the emphasis is completely different: it’s on unity—becoming one with all.
The path to the top of the mountain is not the one you take to the beach. Defining the goal is critical—only then can you know the path. Not all paths lead to the same goal. In this case, some take us to heaven and others take us within—two completely different destinations, each requiring its own path, its own lifestyle.
In Hinduism, the goal is Self-Realization—to experience the Divine within. To merge into that divinity, the Self. To realize that you are God. You are divinity. The Self, as my guru puts it, is Divinity that is timeless, formless, spaceless, and causeless. This is not a goal of intellectual achievement. It is a goal of personal experience and transformation.
Once you define your goal, the confusion begins to lift. The mind quiets down. If the goal is union with the Divine—Self-Realization—then every distraction is seen for what it is: a delay. The clearer the goal, the more focused the path. Discipline becomes easier. Priorities become obvious. There's no longer a need to shop the spiritual marketplace or read endless books on spirituality. Because now, you know what you’re aiming for. Now it’s time to do the work.
Don’t let your spiritual life drift on the currents of cultural default or collective noise. Define the goal. Be ruthless in its clarity. Once you do, the path will begin to reveal itself.
