I had the privilege to speak at Bryan Adams High School the Friday before my husband and I left for Japan. The event was life-giving for me and I hope life changing for the students I spoke to about their life, their future, and why they were in school in the first place.

Exhortation is my spiritual gift. At least that's what the Spiritual Gift Assessment I took a few years ago told me. I am a natural encourager. I motivate people to be the best version of themselves, and this event showed me that I was operating in my lane.

I took the students through a 'Game of Goals.' Each student had to decide why they were in school and what they would do with the rest of their life after graduation. Once they had it written down, I placed a chair in the front of the room and we walked through their long-term goal using the SMART Goals model. If their goal was unrealistic or did not have enough steps to get from point A to B they failed the game, simple as that. Specificity was the name of the game.

Most of the students amazed me in how detailed they were, others became more detailed after walking though the exercise again and again.

I reminded them a goal without a plan was just a dream.