In 2021 Guillaume black, CEO of Property Filter, listened to Dan Hill’s Blueprint Podcast so inspiring he translated its exercises and methodology into French to share with his friends and family.
Dan Hill is an acclaimed property entrepreneur, investor, developer, speaker, educator, and author, renowned within the property community for his innovative approaches to investment.
In this end of the 2023 year Deal Finder’s Corner (DFC), Dan guided participants through his One-Word exercise. This practice is designed to help us reflect on and consolidate the past year and empower us for the following. Dan’s method is borne out of his interest in spirituality, stoic philosophy, and universal manifestation. It is his multifaceted approach to success that is so inspiring.
“We want every chapter to be an absolute page turner.”
Key Insights in this episode
- Reflection’s Role: reflection’s significance in identifying past successes and challenges, crucial for both personal growth and property investment success.
- Goal Setting: A focused approach to setting intentions for more, less, and constants in the coming year as a key to strategic planning.
- Simplification: The “One Word” exercise underscores simplification’s effectiveness in keeping clarity and focus by summarising a year or goal in a single word.
- Values in Business: Integrating personal values, like spirituality and stoicism, into business strategies for better decision-making in property investment.
- Community: Involving family and friends in reflection and goal setting supports growth and creates a supportive network.
Following an introduction from Guillaume, Dan immediately got to work. Before delivering the seven key questions, he invited participants to consider their life as if it were a book, with chapters, and “we want every chapter to be an absolute page turner. One of the ways to do that is start a new chapter at the beginning of every year which I’m sure many of you will be doing with New Year’s resolutions!” Further to that he assured us to, “relax into it let your brain flow and just write down what comes you don’t need to obsess over it”.
Summarising 2023 in One Word
1. What are your 23 successes from 2023?
“These could be big Milestones like you’ve bought a new house, or you’ve had a child or a grandchild or you’ve done a first six or seven figure profit deal or it could be a tiny thing like you ran your first 5k, well you know that’s not a tiny thing, but it could be a tiny thing!”
2. If you were to choose one feeling to sum up 2023, what would it be?
“One feeling that really sort of summarises the year, could be excited, excitable, it could be stressful, it could be pressured, it could be impressive… how did the year feel emotionally… choose one feeling!”
In the chat some of the offerings were: determination, letting go, pressured, relief, frustrated, challenging, difficult, emotional roller coaster, excitement, lots of fun, turbulent, enlightened.
3. What’s the one biggest lesson that you’ve learned in 2023 that you can take forward?
Dan suggests we imagine that our brains have been wiped and we can remember only one. For Guillaume it was, “that life happens today, this is all there is… it’s the way you live your days is indeed the way you live your life, there’s lots of things you can let pass by because you’re too busy but really it’s a marathon not to sprint.”
Several offerings were made in the chat, including “Less is More” from Rupen Patel, a PIN Property host, and investor.
4. Who is the one person that you’re most grateful for in the year?
Dan rallied participants to reach out to the individual they were most grateful to, “call, it doesn’t cost you anything and you know that will literally make someone’s day receiving that message….”
Dan noticed Phil’s chat message expressing gratitude towards Guillaume. “Guillaume’s getting a shout out, I don’t know who’s on the payroll, but Phil V’s giving Guillaume a shout!” Guillaume responded, “He literally is on the payroll!” Dan playfully added, “is he? there you go, that Christmas bonus has just doubled…”
5. What are your top three ‘more of’, ‘less of’, and ‘keep’ from 2023 that you want to take into 2024?
Responding to a comment in the chat, “more HMO’s, less bad tenants” Dan suggested, “maybe start thinking about putting them on leases rather than individuals that might be one way to achieve that.”
To another comment in the chat, “Focus less on kites”, Dan said, “kites are a complete false economy, one of the things we talk about in Property Entrepreneur is you want to have one rocket with five engines not five kites flying around your garden, so just choose one thing and lock into it!”
6. If you were to choose one word that summarises 2023 and what it’s been for you, what would that one word be?
The chat offered up many answers including – adventures, dreams stabilisation, eventful, expensive, growth, and gratitude. For Guillaume’s, CEO of Property Filter, it was “demanding”. For Dan it had been “life-changing” – more on that later!
7. What would that One Word be to summarise 2024?
Continuing with the analogy of the book, we then chose a word for the chapter ahead, the word becoming the title for this forthcoming chapter, and the title of our business plan.
For Dan, in 2023 he was “going from doing million-pound deals to ten-million-pound deals, going from having three offices to having eight offices”. In 2024 for Dan, it “is probably going to be the year of the Middle Lane…. I want to have a year of cruise control, balancing the books, slowing down a bit. …..”
For Guillaume it was “around the theme of the year of being, not doing… being happy, being grateful, being present, all the stuff I don’t do because I’ve just been doing and doing and doing. “
In response, Dan recommended the book, Stillness by Ryan Holiday “One of the simplest books that I’ve read in ages….“.
“It just really reminds you about the fact that actually slowing down and being present is actually more valuable.”
Conclusion
During the DFC Dan also delivered his Life by Design Scorecard process. For those intrigued by Hill’s innovative strategies, watching the full episode on Property Filter’s YouTube channel is highly recommended. Dan Hill’s methodical yet introspective approach offers a unique lens through which property investors can not only evaluate their past year but also strategically pivot for future success. Engage with this transformative content and subscribe for more insights that promise to redefine your approach to investing and entrepreneurship.
Finally, Dan Hill shared exclusively the wonderful news that he and his partner were expecting their first child!
Congratulations Dan!
