Friday Finds - Motivation, Hard Skills, & Retaining Christmas Visitors
Last week, my family took a trip to Indiana & Michigan to visit family & friends for "Thanksmas." This week, Faith has been busy putting up our tree and decorating our home for Christmas. It seems like time always speeds up this time of year, doesn't it? I strive (but struggle) to slow down and be present throughout this busy season, and I know church leaders can understand that as they prepare for Christmas services.
I'm hoping these articles can help you out over the next week:
This Value Is The Secret To Sustained Motivation by William Vanderbloemen via Forbes
Every church leader knows what it's like to lose motivation, to feel listless in their role, or, especially this time of year, just feel plain tired. But before jumping to "I must be burned out," "Maybe this isn't the role for me," or "I need a vacation," read this article instead. The key to staying encouraged and incentivized may be simpler than you think - though certainly a discipline to cultivate. If you haven't followed my friend William on Forbes yet, you should.
10 Things Successful People Never Do Again by Henry Cloud via Success.com
We've all heard the saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The opposite stands true - sanity means not repeating the same failure or mistake again. Pulled from Dr. Henry Cloud's Never Go Back: 10 Things You'll Never Do Again, this quick read outlines 10 ways that smart people grow from their mistakes, rather than making them again.
7 Skills That Are Hard To Learn But Pay Off Forever by Travis Bradberry via Forbes
I strongly urge leaders to bookmark this article and re-read it when making your 2017 New Year's Resolutions (or, if you prefer, when choosing your "theme" for 2017). Many of these skills I've had to learn the hard way, but each one will make you a more effective leader. Travis Bradberry gives a compelling case for a holistic pursuit of better leadership.
I had to include this article by my colleague Jennifer, because we've all seen so many (albeit helpful) articles on planning great Christmas services. But what's missing is the focus on how to get those visitors to keep coming back to church. This involves even more strategy than planning the service, but your staff needs to plan for this. Leaders, don't overlook this.
What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments below.