We feel it is important to make our podcast transcripts available for accessibility. We use quality artificial intelligence tools to make it possible for us to provide this resource to our audience. We do have human eyes reviewing this, but they will rarely be 100% accurate. We appreciate your patience with the occasional errors you will find in our transcriptions. If you find an error in our transcription, or if you would like to use a quote, or verify what was said, please feel free to reach out to us at connect@37by27.com.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:00:00]:

It's that time of year. As much as we are getting ready for the holidays, we are also getting ready for 2024. And my favorite thing about the new year is figuring out my word of the year. If you've been around The Grit Show, you're well aware that I tend to do this every year. My word of the year is what I cling to more than resolutions. So, stick around today to learn more about what our word of the year is, and how exactly I choose mine, and what I'm thinking of for 2024.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:00:33]:

Welcome to The Grit Show, where our focus is growth on purpose. I'm your host, Shawna Rodrigues, and I'm honored to be part of this community as we journey together with our grit intact to learn more about how to thrive and how to get the most out of life. It means a lot that you are here today. As you listen, I encourage you to think of who may appreciate the tidbits of knowledge we are sharing and to take a moment to pass this along to them. Everyone appreciates the friend that thinks of them, and these conversations are meant to be shared and to spark even more connections.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:01:15]:

If you've been around The Grit Show, you were familiar with the word of the year. Not only did I talk about it once, I talked about it twice because we had an episode where I talked about choosing my word of the year, sharing with you what it was and how exactly I chose mine for last year. That's episode 28 if you want to go back and have a little more depth than we're going to go into today about it and the history of my word of the year and the words I've had over the years. I also revisited in episode 33, I talked about my word of the year and how it actually was a big part of major decision that I made in 2023. It's probably interesting to listen to those 2 episodes back-to-back because of how powerful my word of the year was in making that decision and how interesting it was that my word of the year was partially chosen based on what was coming up in the year ahead. So, when you're looking at your word of the year, I like to look at my year ahead, what I want for that year, and that helps me choose a word of the year. I went away in a small retreat not that long ago do some business planning and setting goals and looking at the year ahead in that way.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:02:23]:

But my word of the year is kind of my substitute for a resolution. It's kind of my way of looking at what I want for myself and distilling it down to just one concept. One word that I'm really going to utilize and kind of use as a North Star and a guiding post for the next year. My words of the year in the past have been grace, gratitude, create and savor.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:02:49]:

I can tell you how long I've been doing this. You can hear more about those words and how I chose them and a little more about the process in episode 28 if you wanted to get into more depth. But each of those words has then become part of my bedrock, my foundation of how I move things forward. Gratitude is hugely important to me. The concept of savoring things and not just rushing through and getting the next thing done has become very important to me over this past year and been a great navigational tool as I've navigated a lot of things. It was actually really fun to go back and revisit episode 28 as I prepared for this podcast, because interestingly, when I made that podcast episode, I talked about the house. In an earlier episode, we talked about Robie and I wanting to move out of the house we were in. It was too small for us.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:03:40]:

It wasn't fitting, it wasn't working, but there were too many other things going on and too many things happening. I was launching a business. We had a wedding. We had all sorts of things, careers, stuff going on and moving just wasn't really on the table. We just knew that we wanted a different house and amusingly I'm recording this podcast from that house. So, we did get the house that I talked about a year ago, less than a year ago, but almost a year ago in episode 28. So, it's amusing how much that was part of me choosing this savoring as I wanted to savor that new house and looking forward to that and making that happen. And it did happen, which I didn't necessarily expect that to happen in 2023, but it sure did.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:04:23]:

The one thing I talked about in that episode that did not happen, which was my big announcement in episode 33, was that we were supposed to get married in 2023 and that was one of the big things that I wanted to savor in 2023. And interestingly, in the 1st week or 2 of January, it was becoming increasingly clear that it was not going to be possible to savor launching a podcast network and getting married and doing all the things I wanted to do and the timeframe available to me. And I have an amazing partner and was able to make a decision to postpone our wedding. So, we're actually getting married in 2024, which was not a decision I thought I would have made and I really feel like making a really strong choice on my word of the year about what was most important to me made that decision possible and I'm thrilled with that decision even now. And it's fabulous because right now I am savoring planning our wedding for 2024. And I wasn't in that space at the beginning of the year. It was really hard because I was really like fighting those feelings of overwhelm and having the time and the silly little things like the hotels we were trying to figure out, nothing was falling to place.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:05:39]:

And I've booked those things and they fall into place and things feel so much better and are flowing so much nicer right now because we didn't get married in 2023, we postponed it to 2024. That also made it possible for us to move into the house we're now in. We actually moved to a whole different location and the weekend we were supposed to be getting married was the weekend we were finalizing Robie moving to this area and us making this transition. So, we wouldn't have been able to make this move because there's no way we could have done that on top of a wedding. And that's just when the job fell into place and everything worked out. So, everything did work out and I was able to savor those things. And believe me, when you're trying to prepare a house to go out for sale and things are stressful during that process, it's really nice to have a word of the year to cling to.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:06:32]:

And I've clung to that word multiple times this year and reminded myself that if I'm meeting that benchmark, if I'm savoring, if I'm being present in the moment and enjoying the things, that is what my goal is for this year. That is my touch point and it has made such a difference. So that is why I choose a word of the year. And that has made such a difference over this past year with all of the different ups and downs, with all the adventures of launching a business and all the things I've been doing and postponing a wedding isn't simple, and I've got amazing people in my life. I feel very blessed and not everyone understood all of the time. There's definitely been some interesting conversations along the way as we've explained that choice that was made and being able to have that as my underlying piece of what I know that I'm doing, that I'm achieving for this year that I am savoring it. I'm savoring this experience of working with phenomenal people in my podcast network and doing what I'm doing has made all of the things flow and work so much easier for me. So, I'm very grateful for my word of the year.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:07:46]:

So, as you contemplate this concept for yourself of having a word of the year, I just think it can be really powerful and that's why we're talking about it now when it's like mid-December, to start giving you some time to start rolling around what that word might be and what that fit might be. And each time I've chosen a word, it has been very powerful for me on many levels and really stuck with me and then an important cornerstone. So, savor was my word for 2023 and has been fabulous. And I actually haven't finalized my word for 2024, so I thought we would work through that a little bit today, together, as I'm looking at some of my options for 2024 and possibly looking at some of the reasons why I'm not sure about some of the words that I'm looking at, but some of the words that I'm looking at, one of them will likely end up being my word and we'll definitely get together at the beginning of 2024 and I'll let you know what word I've chosen and hopefully you've had a chance to look at and think about and ponder what your word might be. Revisiting episode 28 goes into a little more depth about my words that I chose in the past, and I actually list off a bunch of words in that process. But I also have this really fun tool and it is already up in my Instagram account, both at shawnapodcasts and at the.grit.show. It'll be in both of those.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:09:12]:

And, basically, what it is, is I have a bunch of words that are just go over and over and over again and you can just like take a picture with your phones to do a screenshot of it and see what 3 words it stops on. And there's like this intuitive piece of it that's kind of fun, but see what resonates with you and see if one of those words like, oh, that does stick or that does connect. And if it doesn't, just run it again, think about it some more and give it some time. But it's kind of a fun tool to kind of give yourself that jolt of seeing what comes up and what resonates with you and what doesn't resonate with you and what you're like, oh, no. Discipline is not my word. Discipline's not a word that I've ever resonated with, but I know a lot of other people do resonate with. And I had a great conversation with somebody that had chosen that for their word and it really made a difference for them. That was the underlying thing that they needed and they'd resisted it at first and then realized that they had all these other things, but what they really needed at the bottom underlying was discipline to bring things together and that's the word that they chose.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:10:13]:

So, it's important you find a word that really resonates for you and for what you need. My amusing thing is that I tend to look at words and their different meanings and I'm giving it a shout out to Ella Shawn, she has a Black Writers Therapy podcast that's on my network. I think very highly of her. It's a great podcast if you get a chance to check it out. And she is big into words and different meanings of words and her and I have great conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging and different pieces around that. And she was talking about some of the terms that were used in their actual Genesis of what they actually mean and how it's not surprising that sometimes we don't get the results we want when the words we're using have meanings and the origin of the words kind of go against of what we're looking for. She's amazing with all that. You definitely need to check her out.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:11:05]:

She actually has a great Substack and has more information on those things. So, definitely connect with her. I'll have to put her Substack in the show notes for this episode. So, you guys can check out her Substack. But she's great with like the depth and meanings of words. And I love, I love that. I'm intrigued by that, but I don't know a lot about it, so I'm not the best person to speak on that, but I love learning about that and checking that out. It's simplistic ways that I look at that.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:11:31]:

So, one of the words that I was looking at was like progress. And I was like, oh, I want to make a lot of progress in my business. I want to make progress in my wellness, like there's a lot of things I want to make progress in this next year, so maybe progress would be a really good word for me for 2024. And then I sat with that and I'm like, oh, progress is also moving quickly, making things happen. Like, we talk about progress and going forward and no. There are other like colorations of that word that don't sit well with me. So, progress is not going to be the word I think I'm going to choose because I think those things like feel like pressure a little bit and I don't want things that feel like pressure. I want it to feel good and sit with me in all ways. Right?

Shawna Rodrigues [00:12:15]:

So, for me, that's not the right word. For someone else that might be perfect and it might fit all the places they need. Just like for me, discipline has like intonations with it that somebody else wouldn't. And it's all about you and what somebody said to you when you were 7. You know? Like, who knows, like, where your different intonations and that colorations of words come from. Right? And another one that I was thinking about that I probably mentioned it before in the podcast is the term abundance. And a lot of people love that word and I've never liked it. And I think what it finally clicked for me is that I have too much stuff.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:12:50]:

I have too much abundance. There's too much. Like, abundance to me is like too much, not like enough. And so, I have thought about like prosperity as a term for me for 2024. Like, I would love to be in a place where I really feel like my business is prospering or financially, I'm prospering or I feel like things are prospering and that, that word and its intonations and what it means, prosperous, like prospering, like that to me feels good and feels right and feels like something that has some potential for me for next year. That that could be a good word for where I'm at with my business. Like, when you're building a business, it takes time and it's lean and it's tight and it's making sure my staff get paid and it's like checking to make sure that checks are clearing from the different contracts and things to make sure things are getting done, and I want to get to a place where that stuff flows and it has a little bit of ease. Which brings me to 2 other words I'm considering, which is flow and ease.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:13:56]:

And actually, wondering if I don't need a little more of that. I had a great conversation with my partner the other day of talking about there's a movie, M. Night Shyamalan, I'm probably saying his last name wrong, but, anyway, I can't explain which movie it was correctly. But there's a character who had, like he just exercised one arm and it was really big and his other arm wasn't. I just remember that from that movie. There's a pool on the lady. Anyway, the whole point of that was that like what you work on and what you have as your strength. I am so good at problem solving and I make magic happen. It's almost, like, people are great at complimenting me about the things I can make come together and make happen.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:14:38]:

And I just don't want people to leap over buildings and make magic happen. And I want things to flow and have ease. Like, y'all know the name of this podcast is The Grit Show because we all have grit. But one of the reasons we're here is to find out how to have more flow and ease. Like, we have the perseverance. We have the skills to stick with things, to problem solve. Like, we've survived a 100% of our bad days and keep showing up and keep making things happen. But it's exhausting and it's tedious. And a little more flow, a little more ease would be kind of amazing. And so, the muscles you work are the muscles you have and they're like, the arm that has all the strength in it, you're going to use your right hand for everything because that's the one you always use for everything. So, until you start using your left hand, it’s not going to be the strong hand. It's not going to be the dominant hand. It's not going to be the one you use. And so, until I start practicing and doing things with ease and stop like moving mountains and start moving little pebbles to make a different path, I'm not going to have that different easy path.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:15:49]:

And so, maybe I need a word like flow or ease for 2024 to help me remember that things can move smoothly and easily. And I know this on some level. I'm aware of this and I work in that and I find that in moments, but it's not a consistent thing. I'm still really great at moving mountains and lifting really heavy things and carrying big weights and all of those things. And I want to be a little better at ease and flow and let it be easy. I want that to be a little more what's in my life. And so maybe I need a word that reflects that and gives a little bit more space for that. So, I'm also contemplating a word just reflective of that, and simple is not quite yet. I think it's, like, flow or ease, but I'm not quite sure.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:16:43]:

So, I'm still thinking about that. I'd written down build at one point in time, and I'm like, what am I thinking? That goes with my mindset of why. Like, I'm constantly building and working so hard to come in up with new ideas and giving myself more work to do. And I'm aware of this. I'm aware. Like, there was a job I did not take once because I was very aware that when I went to the interview, there was somebody that held the job at one agency and I would hold it at another agency and the 2 of us would do it and like, I could do both of the jobs. And I knew if I took that job, I would just find bigger and better and more impressive projects that take more energy and I just move more mountains and make more magic happen to bigger and bigger things because that's who I am and that's what I do. And so, some of that is me needing to be aware of that and be aware that sometimes I need to let it be easy.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:17:44]:

And that's part of what I need to do. Let's find that ease and find that flow. So, that was also some of the words I was thinking of as a little bit more ease and flow. And then I was also thinking that possibly along the lines of like this building, this growth, this progress and prosper and these other things, I'm thinking that maybe I need a word like bloom, that I just need to like, cause blooming is like the flowers just open up to the sun. It happens so naturally. They just, the sun comes out and they just unfold and share their beauty. Nothing's forced. It just happens in its time, in its space and it's beautiful and it's spectacular and it is growth and it is sharing this beauty and being this amazing thing, but it doesn't involve building and hard work and progress, but it's progress.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:18:41]:

And so, I'd wondered about possibly having a word like bloom. That just let it be nice and simple like that. And again, like I mentioned last year with a podcast, I do take into consideration what my year ahead holds. And in the year ahead, I am having my wedding to the love of my life. And so, a word like bloom, like kind of goes nicely with that because that is blooming into a new stage with the 2 of us and starting our life together. I like it. It just kind of goes with it well and we're getting married in spring, so the loom kind of goes with that as well. And we're going to be going on our mini moon because we're going to actually wait like just over a year from now to go actually on our honeymoon because I love trips and it's going to be an epic trip, so I need to give myself more time before we go on our epic honeymoon after we do our fabulous celebration with our friends and family in the spring. And so, I kind of like that.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:19:44]:

So, that kind of goes well with that. And there's some other fun miscellaneous things. I feel like right now I'm so focused on the podcast network and that again, blooming, like all of the wonderful seeds being planted with all of these amazing individuals I get to work with in my network and the great fruition that's happening with their podcasts. I don't know if you've seen on my social media, but one of our podcasts has reached the top 5%, which is very exciting. Everyone else is doing so amazing, and they're also heart centered and authentic and doing beautiful things. And so, you guys, I'm talking myself into the term bloom just by having this conversation. But I think that's what it really takes when you're looking at your word of the year to really like roll around with some different thoughts and ideas of potential ideas and potential things that might fit and might work with where you're at and what you want and what you see in the year ahead. I know that somebody for Author Express, we have a new cohost coming on and they're having a lot of transitions that are happening in their world the next year with their youngest child graduating and going off to college and they're taking on this prestigious position with one of the writing associations. And so, they're having those type of transitions.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:20:59]:

So, if you have those type of transitions to be thinking about what word goes with those types of opportunities. I have another one of my dear friends who, you know, she's going to be a little occupied of my wedding because she loves me, but she also has some other exciting transitions happening with her family, with growth in her family. And so, what word would fit around those pieces. And she has an exciting trip that she's going to be taking. So, look at the pillars of what's going to be happening that you know of. Because again, it's really kind of fun for me to look back at the episode I recorded. And I did mention the house, even though there was no house on the horizon, we were not moving to another city, like, none of that was happening. We were supposed to be having a wedding that we didn't because my word was savor and I wasn't savoring.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:21:45]:

So, it empowered me to make a change. But, look at all of those different factors and kind of put together like, what is that word? And like I said, if you go back to my last episode, there's a zillion words that I list off and you can kind of look at and kind of go through and see them. But if you go to my Instagram, either at shawnapodcasts or at the.grit.show, and I hope you're following me in both places, if you go to either of those, just to go ahead and use that tool because it's kind of fun. Just snap some pictures, some words, and see, like, what fits and what resonates. And maybe abundance does fit because you do want more in your life. You want more love. You want more of this financial support. You want more joy in your work or maybe it's just joy. Maybe you just want joy. Like, there are so many different words. And for me, it's so much fun to boil it down to one and I remember them. Obviously, I can rattle them off to you. My words of the year are, I cannot tell you what resolutions I've had any given year or ever probably. And, yeah, I totally remember my words of the year, and they have been very impactful for me. So, I really encourage you to consider that as an option. And today, we’re doing something kind of fun.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:22:58]:

I'm actually, as you know, we have 8 podcasts in the Authentic Connections Podcast Network. And one of them that you may not have checked out yet is Real Estate Energized! and it is so much more than just real estate. So, I wanted to give you guys a chance to get to hear. It's Dill Ward and Nicholas Nascimento and they are a married couple that have great energy together and they do a lot more than just talk about real estate. They actually talk about some pretty poignant topics and they just had an episode where they talked about creating a bold vision of the future. It’s at episode number 5. So, I am just going to tag it on here and let you guys listen to them. It's only like an 18-minute episode, so it'll just round this out to the normal amount of time we normally have for one of our episodes.

Shawna Rodrigues [00:23:47]:

And it will help you because they talk a little bit more about breaking down goals and looking ahead at 2024, so they give you a little more depth. If you want some more time on your word of the year, you can go back to episode 28 or 33. We'll link them in the show notes. I'll also put the link in there to get connected to Ella Shawn and her Substack because you guys would love to be connected to her newsletter. She's pretty fabulous and so you guys can have those resources going forward. And as always, don't forget, holiday season, just look up the Color of Grit. You can either go to Amazon, check it out, or just go to show notes and get your coloring book right there. Beautiful coloring book, excellent gift. It's like $12 I think, and you get to support this podcast, which is pretty awesome deal, right? So, before you go to check out Real Estate Energized! with Nicholas and Dill, I just want to remind you, you are the only one of you that this world has got. And that really does mean something. I'll be here again next week. I hope you are too.

Dill Ward [00:24:47]:

Today, we're breaking free from the conventional and diving into the realm of limitless possibilities. Whether you're in real estate or not, join us as we explore the art of crafting a bold vision for the future. Get ready to unleash your creativity and pave the way for a transformative journey ahead.

Dill Ward [00:25:08]:

You're listening to Real Estate Energized, where real estate meets real life. I'm Dill Ward.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:25:15]:

And I'm Nicholas Nascimento, and we are not just realtors. We're your guides to the world of real estate with a deeper twist.

Dill Ward [00:25:23]:

If you're thinking about moving sometime in the future, are already in motion with an upcoming move, or are a real estate professional who recognizes there's more depth to real estate than just a transaction, then join us on a journey as we unlock the real stories of personal growth that happens while buying and selling real estate.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:25:44]:

Each week, we'll bring you unique perspectives and profound life lessons we've seen through our clients and our own experiences. Let's get started.

Dill Ward [00:25:57]:

How are we coming on a new year already?

Nicholas Nascimento [00:25:59]:

You know, every single one of these just creeps up on us.

Dill Ward [00:26:02]:

I mean, it was just summertime, and now it's already time to start making big dreams for next year.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:26:08]:

You know it's on the horizon, so you're starting to see it form a silhouette, and you kind of have to start putting together what it is you see before you get there, because, honestly, you don't know what it is you're going towards.

Dill Ward [00:26:19]:

I know something that happens for me every year is I feel like I'm already behind on setting goals for next year because of those super overachievers who already bought, like, the 2024 calendar and planner and have already, like, mapped out the entire year.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:26:34]:

Well, it also doesn't help that we're in, you know, we're in the season where it's like, everybody's got their Christmas decorations up, and it's just the 1st day of November, and you're like, oh my gosh. How am I so far behind? I just put the Halloween decorations away.

Dill Ward [00:26:47]:

I know. And then I sort of vacillate between big, massive go to the moon dreams and, I don't know, maybe just a little bit different than this year.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:26:57]:

But I think in a lot of ways, this is the perfect time to exercise a skill set that is critical for success for a repeatable success pattern.

Dill Ward [00:27:06]:

I mean, when I look back at some of the biggest goals that I've accomplished, I realized that they took so many steps, so many bites of the apple to get to the goal. And I know sometimes we can all be guilty of making those to do lists as if, like, start a podcast or build a website as if that was just like one checkbox. You know?

Nicholas Nascimento [00:27:29]:

Well and, there's also the possibility of there being multiple to do list, like myself, I have at least 5 running at every single time. And most of the time, it's just a hassle. I choose which one I feel like I've made the most progress on. I look at that one the most because I'm like, alright. I'm doing great here.

Dill Ward [00:27:45]:

I don't know if you out there can relate to this, but I'm the kind of girl who likes to put things on the checklist I've already finished just to check them off.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:27:53]:

Yeah. No. That's true. So, you spent some time. I've seen it.

Dill Ward [00:27:56]:

Anyways, let's get on to our topic today, which is the inspiration to create a big and bold vision for your next year.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:28:06]:

Yeah. Speaking of, casting ideas out towards the horizon, this is the essence of it is to kind of visualize what you're heading towards. And the bigger it is, like, sometimes that actually, almost always, the bigger it is, the better it is for you.

Dill Ward [00:28:23]:

I keep hearing that one rap song where he says, nothing worth having is going to be easy. And, man, ain't that the truth? But, however, I do want to say, I think it's really important to recognize that nobody's coming to give you permission to dream a little bigger. No one's saying, hey. You, those aspirations are too small for you. You've got so much more potential in you, so you really got to claim it for yourself.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:28:55]:

Yeah. It's absolutely true.

Dill Ward [00:28:57]:

And there's probably something significant that you know you want to make a major change and that is, it probably feels a little scary to even address it. Maybe you're hiding out from it. Maybe you're, like, allowing yourself to not think about it because you know once you think about it, it's going to take some massive action on your side.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:29:17]:

In a lot of ways, like, that happens too, yes, all the time. It's we're facing some change. It's going to take a lot of energy to get through it. Any sort of, like, transition, even if you just shuffle the drawers around. Like, drawer is going to be won over. It takes a lot of effort to get used to that. That's not even a big change. That's a pretty small change. So, bigger changes, like the ones we've seen in real estate, can be, like, gargantuan from afar.

Dill Ward [00:29:45]:

I think, over the years, people I've coached or mentored have said to me, like, what's the best place to, like, write out a business plan or goals or where should I do this? And, really, they're all effective. Literally, every single way to visually create some accountability to your dreams, whether it's a vision board or a planner or a big whiteboard with just all kinds of colored markers and just going crazy writing stuff out, all of it has a place in your visualizing, in your planning, in your dreaming, and the key is just to get started. Because once you do it once, it's not just one and done. Like, you need to be able to, you know, kind of brain dump everything out and see how it fits together and see where you're, like, completely unsure why you even wrote that down. And the stuff that usually scares you that you wrote down that big number or that big claim is the exact thing that you need to be leaning into.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:30:48]:

And, usually, I think the symptom for when you know that there's some big things you have to decide is that, like, you feel general frustration that you're not taking time to think about big things need to decide. Like, I think if you have a hard time recognizing that you're at the cusp of a need for vision, like, you might feel just a generalized frustration, and that's your signal like, hey. Look at this problem in its face and try and figure out what you actually wanted to do.

Dill Ward [00:31:16]:

Yeah. There's a good chance that you are going to surprise yourself when you start thinking about it. I mean, there's so many areas of life. Right? There's your money and your health and your relationships and your purpose and there's so many areas of life. You're probably doing great at some, but there are other areas that you know need your attention and intention coming up this next year.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:31:39]:

So then, what does a bold vision mean?

Dill Ward [00:31:43]:

Well, I think it has to scare you at least a little bit. It has to cast into the future, calling in your future self. Maybe it doesn't look anything like what your life is like today, and that's what's a little bit terrifying.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:31:58]:

Yeah. And it can be financial, personal, relational, can be material. It can be any number of things.

Dill Ward [00:32:06]:

And maybe a little bit of all of them. You know? And whenever I'm getting ready to get started thinking about the year, I call it future casting. I like to joke, it's so simple. I literally open a notepad file on my phone. I've already started this. It says 2024 Dill, and I'm just ready to brain dump. Just anything that Dill in the next year is doing as if I were just a piece of software, and someone was going to upgrade the operating system.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:32:37]:

I do love that about our, like, perspective on circulating around the sun. Like, we think of it as, like, the new version. It's like, you know, when we were 30, it was 3.0. It wasn't like, I'm turning 30. We're getting, like, a new upgrade this year. Something's changing. And what is it you're working on? What are the pain points? What needs to be worked on?

Dill Ward [00:33:00]:

Yeah. I really love using the demarcation of time to say that that was the best the developers could do, the best the world had ever known prior to this next version and calling in the next version, I'm like, oh, in this new version, it has so many bells and whistles and efficiency. And all those things that were making it crash are just gone because new habits are in place that are creating seamless integration and the life that you truly desire.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:33:31]:

Yeah. I mean and with that, you have cognitive ability that you've developed over years and over, you know, different courses you may have taken and, you know, continuing to learn, like, your brain is just developing new paths for processing complex things.

Dill Ward [00:33:47]:

And I've been thinking and reading a lot of most of the gurus and mentors out there, they all say your past circumstances have nothing to do with your future potential, and so it's time to create a bold and brave vision of the newest version of you coming into the world, be terrified. Be ready. Like, we all need to step up and become our full potential. It's no longer going to work to just idle back and wait for someone else to tell you what to do.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:34:17]:

Yeah. So, let's break it down. What does that mean for a buyer or seller of homes?

Dill Ward [00:34:24]:

Anyone who's thinking about transacting and entering the market in the next year is going to have to build up some resilience, maybe recognizing that they're not going to get exactly what they want, how they want, but there's still a lot to gain. A seller may have to do a few more repairs to a property or really put in a little extra elbow grease to get it looking great to be able to perform on the market. A buyer might be paying more for the money that they have to borrow, but, hopefully, they can structure a good deal and buy a house that has an opportunity to make a good appreciation in the future.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:35:00]:

And then, additionally, like, sellers may end up needing to concede on things that may not necessarily be completely comfortable because they have to keep their bolder future vision alive by letting go of their past. And, additionally, buyers might need to, like, energize themselves towards creating a new future, a new paradigm that they can create for their family unit. And a lot of times, it takes having to maintain a vision for multiple individuals as to how the future home benefits.

Dill Ward [00:35:34]:

Absolutely. I think this is such an important point that anyone thinking about transacting in the real estate market in the future really take to heart is that the bigger vision of what you're desiring is taking so much energy and resources from you beyond just money. And the money piece will be the one that you get hung up on, and you'll have some kind of anchored number in your mind that if not this, then I've completely failed, and I'm mad when recognizing being able to release an old chapter and step fully into a new chapter ready to embrace it, like, we'll have exponentially more value. You know, a lot of people are going to get hung up on that. They're going to just give up and get mad and be mad at the market when the emotional telling of your energy is just as important.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:36:25]:

That's where it's an opportunity to stand out and shine is if you're able to do something that most people are having a hard time facing. And so, the other thing that you can do is you can help rally the people around you by helping them see their own visions and by, you know, encouraging other people to take time. The people around you who influence you and who you may be influencing, it could be good to help them also try to rally around the vision and your real estate goals.

Dill Ward [00:36:56]:

There's a good chance you're going to be invited to something that involves creating a vision, maybe a vision board class or workshop or maybe there's a visioning or goal setting training, show up to it. Sign up for it. Pay for it. Go to it. The more you can get around other people, I remember one of the first times I created a vision board, and we just invited a bunch of friends over. We got a bunch of magazines, and we all just start cutting them up. And I remember immediately looking over a friend of mine, and she's cutting all these, like, travel pictures and stuff, and it, like, kind of just glaringly caught me. Like, I'm not putting any travels. Maybe I need to put travel on my board too.

Dill Ward [00:37:38]:

Like, we all influence each other that way. And when we get around other people and see what their dreams and their visions are, it just rubs off on you. So, it's so worth it. Make sure you can. Get yourself in the room. And if no one's inviting you to one, here's your permission to just host one. Just invite a few of your most aspiring positive friends and connections over to your house or office and start cutting stuff up and talking about the future.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:38:04]:

Yeah. I think, didn't we do one in our house one time? I'm sure we did.

Dill Ward [00:38:07]:

No. That was the first one we did in our house, and I was distinctively remembering going, I haven't cut out any travel pictures, and I felt, like, influenced in that moment to start dreaming about travel.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:38:20]:

Yeah. And it's also fun. You can go to, like, craft stores that do resale and upcycling of things, and you can buy old magazines that they're like, these are specifically for scrapbooking. So, if you have one of those kind of places in your town, go check it out. Sometimes it can be a nice dip into nostalgia if you find, like, an old cluster of old magazines too.

Dill Ward [00:38:41]:

I have really enjoyed over the years taking segments of the home that I'm dreaming about or want to see in my future. I remember we hosted in our office, like, a homebuyer's dream workshop kind of thing, and we just cut up all these pictures of kitchens and yards and patios and all these different spaces. And it was just really fun to tell the universe what we think is cool. So, Nic, before we wrap this up, how can we make this creating a bold vision applicable to our industry, our industry peers, other realtors, and other people in the real estate industry.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:39:20]:

As industry peers, like, we definitely have the confident year of our clients and our customers as they may say. And so, I think in a lot of ways, we need to keep them in a positive head space, and we can cast a bold vision and assist others in casting their bold vision. But then, what would you say is a way that you would cast bold vision as a real estate professional for yourself?

Dill Ward [00:39:46]:

Yeah. I think we got to just keep diving into mindset work and staying in our heart and being in service. I think anyone in the industry at this time is feeling a little bit apprehensive about what the future holds, but those who are really committed and passionate about what they do will always have a place in the market.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:40:06]:

Yeah. And embracing a bold vision towards what your services are will also kind of help you to present the values that you bring to the table for buyers and sellers alike. And then additionally, I would say that casting a vision may also be an opportunity for growth in a professional and or a personal space, whether it's a matter of trying to find new ways to take care of yourself by giving yourself a future to look forward to financially or giving yourself opportunities to earn money in other revenue streams so as to give yourself a breath in every year that you come across.

Dill Ward [00:40:49]:

I just have to put a shameless plug. If anyone's out there looking for their new real estate home, we are accepting people into our team and our organization that we love to support and mentor. Reach out to us if you'd like to do a discovery call on that.

Dill Ward [00:41:03]:

Well, let's wrap this up on a high note. And anyone out there, I hope you feel inspired to take some action to create a bold vision. It might start subtle at first, like I said, on a note file in your phone, or you might go to a full day workshop. Either way, it's up to you. You're the only one guiding the ship. Anything you write on there that you're going to, you know, work toward or dream about is all on you. Permission is granted.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:41:30]:

And I'd say aim beyond the moon. Get a star. Look at a star. Pick that star. Put your goal on that star and you know what? You're probably going to get to the moon, and if you don't get to the moon, you're still getting really far from where you are. So, wish upon that star.

Dill Ward [00:41:47]:

As we close the door on another incredible episode of Real Estate Energized, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to you, our listeners. If you're looking to buy or sell real estate anywhere and need a great agent or you are an inspired agent yourself, connect with us.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:42:05]:

We hope you found inspiration and insight in this episode. Remember, real estate is not just about walls and roofs. It's about the stories and dreams that fill those spaces.

Dill Ward [00:42:18]:

Stay tuned for more exciting stories and life lessons in the episodes to come. And if you have a unique real estate story or topic, you'd like us to explore, reach out in the links below in the show notes.

Nicholas Nascimento [00:42:30]:

Until next time. Keep dreaming, keep growing, and keep finding joy in the journey. Thanks for joining us on Real Estate Energized!