On our quest for direction and meaning, we’ve talked about steps to take for your physical, tangible life. We’ve talked about what to do for your mental and emotional health. Now, we turn to our soul: here are some ways you can find direction in your spiritual life right now.
First, a quick recap on what we’ve covered so far:
1. Learn how to budget
When you budget, you give yourself boundaries about how and where you will spend your money.
There are a lot of budgeting tools out there, so I recommend that you pick one that works for you. I created one you can use if you like the paper route.
2. Reap the benefits of meal planning
Meal planning helps you make healthier choices and spend less on eating out or groceries.
Meal planning is also great because you don’t have to cook every meal in a week. You can plan which meals you want to eat out or order in for.
If you want to take your meal planning to the next level, I recommend using my method for grocery list organization: a quadrant-style grocery list! Get your grocery list template here (plus, 8 more templates to help you in other areas of your life!).
3. Work some movement into your life
As my physical therapist says, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” And I see the truth of that with my aging family members.
Even a simple daily walk will help you clear your head and keep your body fit as you age. I know “aging” feels forever away. God willing, it is. But trust me, when you’re 75 and still mobile, you’ll thank me.
Click here to snag a free weekly movement plan right now.
4. Find a bedtime that works for you and stick to it
Okay, in full transparency, this one is both physical and emotional.
Getting enough sleep is 1000% crucial for your physical and mental health.
So turn your AC down, buy a fan, set an alarm to remind you to brush your teeth, and go to bed on time.
5. Create margin in your life
Give yourself a night off from socializing, volunteering, or doing. Say “no” to some invitations. Give yourself time and space to rest.
6. Embark on self-discovery
Learn who you are, on your own, without anyone else’s opinions or influence getting in the way.
Figure out what gives you joy, makes you mad, where your limits are, and what you’re great at.
You are uniquely and wonderfully you and you deserve to know yourself as well as you can!
Some ways you can do that are through tools like CliftonStrengths, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or the Enneagram.
7. Go to therapy
Therapy isn’t just for people in the depths of a mental crisis. Therapy can give you tools to handle the daily stressors you encounter, as well as bigger hardships you’ll grapple with like grief.
Plus, another bonus is that therapy usually helps you know yourself better, too!
There are plenty of options out there these days, like Better Help, Teladoc, and more.
Tend to your mental health proactively. You deserve it.
8. Plan for fun!
Make sure to work some fun and joy into your life, too!
Plan for fun trips (big or small), fun outings (like the zoo! a camping trip! a hike!), and fun, budget-friendly splurges.
Having something fun to look forward to will help see you through any difficult season.
Have fun out there, friend!
9. Develop your prayer life now
Prayer must be your number one priority. Your daily prayer routine doesn’t have to be long, or fancy, or elaborate; it just has to be daily.
As a missionary, I had a holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day. Talk about a prayer routine! When I left missions, I struggled to find the balance. I simply didn’t have time for a daily holy hour any more, so I had to work with what I had.
Today, I live in a town that doesn’t have a Perpetual Adoration chapel, and while my church has Adoration once a month, I haven’t made it there yet. So, what can prayer look like for me now?
Here are some ideas:
- Read Scripture – pick a book in the Bible, a prepared Bible study or devotional, or the daily Mass readings
- Spiritual Reading/Spiritual Journaling – Spiritual reading and journaling makes up the bulk of my prayer time these days. I like to read for a few minutes (or a whole chapter, if I have time) and then talk to God about what I read. Sometimes I write a lot in my journal, sometimes just a simple prayer like “Come, Holy Spirit.” If this is a route you want to try, some of my favorite books to start with are:
- Graceful by Emily P. Freeman
- Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen
- Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales
- Shalom Sistas by Osheta Moore
- Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux
- Liturgy of the Hours – what a great way to give yourself words to say to God, and Scripture to pray with, when you don’t have words to say or know where to start in the Bible! Liturgy of the Hours is traditionally prayed by priests, deacons, and religious men and women all over the world, but lay people can pray it, too. What’s cool about Liturgy of the Hours is that Jesus would have prayed many of the same psalms and scriptures. We also get to participate in God’s call to “pray without ceasing,” because someone somewhere is praying the Liturgy of the Hours at any given time during the day, thanks to all the different time zones around the world.
- A simple “Our Father” – yes, it’s that simple. If you don’t have time for anything more involved than this, saying an Our Father every morning, or at various times throughout the day, can help you develop a daily prayer habit right now!
And of course, if you do have time to make it to daily Mass or Eucharistic Adoration throughout the week, go for it! No matter what you choose, the important thing is to pray every day, in some way.
10. Build strong friendships
One of my best friends just sent me a meme that said, “Reminder: your girlfriends will probably outlive your husbands so find good ones.”
Good friends support you and encourage you to believe in the best version of yourself. They provide a safety net you can return to when life gets hard, things don’t go your way, or you just need a night to kick back and relax.
Great friends do all that and keep you in touch with your faith. They pray for you and with you. They help you see what God is up to in your life.
Building strong friendships is good for your mental health and your spiritual life.
Some possible places to find a new friend circle:
- Church
- Bumble (Bumble isn’t just a dating app—they have a section for finding friends AND business networking!)
- Friends of friends
- Reach out to an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while to catch up
And another tip—if you can, make friends with people from different age brackets. Some of my dearest friends are 10+ years older than me, and some are several years younger. We all bring different perspectives and wisdom to the table, and my life would not be complete without them.
11. Give back
Cultivating a generous spirit does so much for your spiritual life. It helps you learn detachment from material goods and trust in God’s providence. Giving back reminds you that the world does not revolve you (I say this to myself perhaps more than you….full transparency!). And, getting involved with a cause you hold dear might introduce you to other people with the same values (and help you make more friends!).
Some ways you can give back include:
- Teach a class at church
- Volunteer at an event for an organization you love (the most fun I ever had volunteering was at the Atlanta Lab Rescue 5K)
- Donate to a charity that supports a cause you love
- Volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters or Best Buddies
- Donate food to your local St. Vincent de Paul chapter
Take one step at a time.
I’ll leave you with two more pieces of advice and a question.
Advice first
Over the course of this series, I’ve given you many things to think about and add to your life. My last piece of advice is this:
Take this list one step at a time.
Give yourself time and grace. Focus on adding one new rhythm or routine at a time. Once you master it, add the next one.
The next bit of wisdom I’ll leave you with is
Give yourself grace.
It takes time and patience to do the hard and holy work of surrendering for greatness. With every step you take, you’re closer to your goal: becoming the person God created you to be. You won’t do it perfectly, ever. But that’s why God gives us grace and forgiveness. If God is willing to give us grace, we can follow suit and give ourselves grace.
Then, a question…
What would you add to this list? Comment below to let me know, or email me at carrie at carrie k miller dot com.
Finally, some templates!
If you’re like me, you love a good list, chart, or written-down plan. I can’t hold all the things in my head without inevitably forgetting something. I’ve created ready-made templates just for you to help you create your own rhythms and routines. I call this bundle of templates Your Greatness Starter Pack.
In it, you’ll get these templates:
- Weekly Prayer Plan
- Monthly Budget
- Weekly Movement Plan
If you’re already ready for more (look at you go!), you can get Your Greatness Starter Pack: Deluxe Edition! It includes the three basic templates plus six more to help you create your weekly margin and meal plan, track your sleep and exercise, and review your work-prayer-fun-life balance (with a fun coloring wheel!).
Click here to get the Deluxe Edition now.
I’m cheering you on with everything I have!
