These Are the 4 Changes I'm Making in 2021. What Are Yours?

Over the past month, several people have asked me, “What are you working on this year, Gustavo?” These people know me well. They understand that I am a lifelong learner who is always trying to change or improve something. There's a well-known piece of wisdom that three things matter in real estate: location, location, location. Similarly, three things are important in creating any type of change: practice, practice, practice. So what am I working on this year?

1. Grace: Cultivating Self-Compassion

Too often, we are our own harshest critics. I often set unreasonable goals for myself and my organization. I set large goals with short timeframes and then frustrate myself if I don’t achieve them. When I do achieve them, it has often required Herculean efforts and a sacrificing time with friends and family. For me, grace means being a little kinder and gentler with myself. It means achieving and enjoying the people in my world at the same time.What are you doing to take care of yourself?

2. Authenticity: Bringing Worlds Together

I have a tendency to “live in my head.” I am thoughtful, maintain a vibrant internal life and use my cognitive skills to solve problems in ways others might not consider. This allows me to bring focused attention to the needs of my clients, without external distractions or interruptions.Enter the pandemic, Zoom presentations from my home office and Felina, the cat I adopted after my mother’s passing in 2019.

Felina, like many cats, sleeps as many as 16 hours a day – many of those hours being in the morning. However, she is awake and vocal during the afternoon. Many who have seen me speaking during afternoon hours have heard her meowing for attention. They often ask, “Is that a baby in your house?” No, it’s just Felina. I haven’t lost any clients (yet?) because of Felina, but she has forced me to get more comfortable with the blending of my personal and professional lives.How are you managing previously unforeseen interruptions?

3. Persistence: Moving into the 'New Normal'

In the words of Winston Churchill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”When this pandemic first took hold, many across a variety of industries – including the professional speaking industry – decided to sit back and wait for it to pass. Today, some are engaged in the current reality of the pandemic but still waiting for the “old normal” to return.  But the old normal is dead. The new normal will look only vaguely like the old normal.  Persistence overcomes resistance. If we want to succeed in the new normal – whatever it looks like – we must push past our own resistance and create what we want the new normal to be.What resistance is coming up for you? How are you pushing through it?

4. Connection: Belonging to Each Other

Managing the day-to-day of this pandemic can be exhausting. It affects each of us differently. It is times like these that try our connection to others. I have been thinking about a quote often attributed to newsman Walter Winchell: “A real friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”The connections we forged prior to this pandemic can support us during this time of need. The connections we forge in the crucible of this crisis have the potential to be enduring and lifelong.Now is the time to reach out to friends and neighbors to see how they are doing, what they may need and how we might help. Some have suggested that we focus on “taking care of our own.” I would suggest that we are all “our own.” Now, more than any other time in our lifetimes, our behaviors directly impact the health and well-being of those around us. There is no “other”; now is the time we walk in rather than walk out.Whom can you connect with that you haven’t connected with in a while?I’d love to hear your questions and comments. If you would like to discuss this topic further, just drop me a note.Let’s keep cultivating our culture, together!