I've talked with so many people in our community lately who seem to be doing a bit of "spring cleaning" with their lives. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the Lenten season, but it feels like a good time of year to take a second look at those New Year's Resolutions and reevaluate the goals we set for our lives. 

In my small group we've been talking about this very topic and are going to spend an evening making vision boards. I know several members of our community who've talked of how much it helps them to visualize their dreams this way, putting them in a place where they can see them everyday.

I'm definitely a person who thrives when setting goals. I'm very project-oriented. I like to set goals and see results. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment. So while a vision board would help me to visualize my long-term and life dreams, I still need tangible, smarter steps laid out to help me prioritize life. These short-term plans help me identify how I can spend my energy working toward bigger dreams 6 weeks or 6 months at a time. 

And I'm not the only one. The entire Forefront staff benefits from setting goals. For a year now, we've been doing an exercise called 6x6 goals. Every 6 weeks we write down and share our top 6 priorities with each other. Some of these are ministry or work focused, some are vision focused, some are for personal relationships or spiritual growth. We list the goal and we list what is at stake and why it's important right now. Then 6 weeks later, Ben, Jonathan and I all review our goals, where we succeeded or failed, and set another 6. 

You can hear more about 6x6 goals from Bill Hybels, Lead Pastor of Willow Creek Church in Illinois. When he first presented this idea it spread quickly throughout church communities because it's such a useful tool to help leaders manage their energy and time. Try it out. Ask another person at church to do it with you. Hold each other accountable. I'm sure you'll find it really helpful for your life as well.