And then it was 2017. For many of you, you enjoyed some refreshing time off after your Christmas services and are now already ankle deep in 2017 goals, resolutions, and budgets. I've always liked this time of year. It's a time of focusing ahead and steadily gaining momentum.

I'm hoping these articles can help and encourage you this week:

15 Words You Need To Eliminate From Your Vocabulary by Jennie Haskamp via Time

If you're still looking for 2017 goals to set, this is a fantastic one. Not only will it improve your verbal skills and communication, but this can greatly impact your writing as well. Generic filler words like "really," "good," "just," and "things," keep your communication from being clear and succinct. This is a helpful resource to share with your staff, especially those who use their writing skills for their job.

10 Things An Effective Church Vision Must Do by Brian Dodd via Brian Dodd on Leadership

This is a perfect time of year to re-evaluate your church's vision and how you are living it out. Brian Dodd provides a short, practical list of vision must-haves. Measure your church vision against this list, and make adjustments as necessary. It's better to course-correct now than to look back 5 years from now and wish you had.

John Maeda on Creative Leadership, Talking vs. Making, and Why Human Relationships Are a Work of Craftsmanship by Maria Popova via Brain Pickings

Creativity and leadership do not need to be mutually exclusive. This article explores an interview with John Maeda, former MIT Media Researcher and President of RISD, found in the book, Make Your Mark: The Creative's Guide to Building a Business with Impact. Maybe you're someone who likes "doing" the work, making something, creating something - whether that's a system, a sermon, a healthy team, or a business. Being in leadership often forces you away from the making and more toward communication. But, says Maeda, you can still build. "You make relationships. One at a time. With the same painstaking attention to craft that you knew as a maker" Whether or not you view yourself as creative, this is a great read for leaders.

3 Practical Ways To Fight Burnout & Improve Your Team's Energy by William Vanderbloemen via Forbes

This is another practical read for this time of year. I always urge leaders to be hyper-vigilant about signs of burnout, both in themselves and in their team. William gives several realistic examples of team burnout and how to combat them. Don't lose stellar team members to burnout when there are concrete steps you can take to prevent it from taking hold.

What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments below.