What is the ultimate goal that our spirits are trying to achieve by "growing/evolving/advancing"?

Hi

I've read that many mystics say the ultimate goal is re-union with the Source, God, God-head, by whatever name.

Afterlife experiences point us in the direction of losing our ego-identities and uniting to some extent with others, whether it's just to communicate with others without physical means, or through soul-melds, or in the wondrous obliteration of self that experiencers of NDEs have.

I think we're taking steps in that direction of getting back to our Source.   

Bets

One of the problems of forgetting to my mind is the fact that just as we get a handle on things and maybe achieve some wisdom its time to go home. Then when we start again, all of that previous wisdom and experience is lost and we might spend the first forty or more years trying to get back to where we were the last time around?
To me this all seems a bit inefficient. Or is there a way of getting that knowing back without breaching some kind of 'memory rule'?
I'm not suggesting that we need to know exactly what we achieved (or didn't achieve) in a previous life, but surely we could all make more progress and 'get it right' with some inner knowing.
The reason I ask this is that I know some young students who know exactly who and what they are, what they're supposed to be doing, and where they're headed in life, and that doesn't imply that they're exclusively spiritually oriented.
For each one of those, there are probably millions thrashing about and seeking their path or purpose in life.
How do we get to the 'on course' knowing?

Best wishes,
David.