The Crossing Fawn

Two weeks ago, I took the scenic road to work.

One of the more stunning drives in Bucks County, the quiet, two-lane road has sprawling farms and beautiful multi-acre properties on either side, minimal traffic, and an abundance of nature, so it’s easy to get lost in present thoughts while the coffee stirs. In the winter months, the early morning sun creates glares in the windshield, which makes it difficult to see the walkers in the middle of the road near the blindspots. It’s better to stay alert and keep within the limit.

On this particular morning, a hundred feet ahead, a creature the size of a fox or dog emerged from the tree line to my right. The downshifting gears startled the animal, and as I approached I realized it was a spotted fawn churning its scrawny legs on the slippery road as it crossed to the other side. Coming to a near stop, I watched the fawn traipse into the field to the left then waited for its mother to cross. I eased by, checking the rearview mirrow. Five seconds, ten seconds, twenty seconds later and still nothing.

I don’t know much about the parenting methods of deer, but I began to wonder how long can a fawn last without its mother?

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I’m fortunate to have always known a mother’s unconditional love. My mom’s patience and support were key ingredients for my growth. She allowed my brother, sister, and I to choose our paths and make our mistakes, and it was up to us to either learn from those mistakes or not, to follow the worn path or forge one for ourselves.

Bound by her strong religious values and reserved wisdom, Mom had a peaceful approach to every problem, yet I still remember one of the rare times she had to give me some hard truth.

Some may find this amusing, but in middle school I joined the wrestling team. At the time, my rec basketball career was winding down, and my full-time soccer obsession was ramping up. I wasn’t very good at wrestling. My brother said I was good at counting the lights. I enjoyed training but hated losing weight because I loved to eat.

We had a star wrestler at 120 pounds and other really good ones at the surrounding weight classes, so in order to compete, I had to drop to 105. I cut a lot of weight in the beginning and stuck with it for most of the season. Thanksgiving was torturous. Limited turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The winter holidays nearly broke me, but somewhere around the chocolate holiday and birthday cake I missed weight. Our team had a rule that anyone who missed weight was out the next two matches. It was a fair rule. Letting down your team had logical consequences. So I did what any 13 year-old know-it-all would do. I quit.

Mom is a sweet and generous person. Devoted in her church, active in the school and community, she gave up much of her time to ensure we had everything we needed to be successful. But as the baby of the family, the unofficial Golden Child, I’d gotten too comfortable with the back rubs or gentle words of encouragement.

Mom was furious.

As a former multi-sport athlete, a current PE Teacher and fitness instructor, she lashed out at me in a way I’d never experienced before or since.

I had to watch my teammates finish the season without me. Nobody cared. The team went on. Weeks later, the AD stopped me in the hallway and asked if I wanted to rejoin the team for the final tournament. I wouldn’t be allowed in the main pool but the one for the leftovers. I gave it a thought then asked Mom when I got home.

“No way,” she said, still livid. “You quit. You don’t get to just walk on back.”

It was a hard lesson but a valuable one. Loyalty and grit became cornerstones of my growing philosophy.

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For days, I worried about the fawn crossing the road. Would it ever again know its mother’s unconditional love? Would it ever again know the difference between the deer version of the pat on the back or the sometimes needed kick in the rear. Would it grow old and re-cycle the lessons received from its mother?

Later, I read up on the survival of fawns. They are born unscented, so the mother leaves them alone in the first few weeks, keeping them hidden while drawing any attention of predators away. When the time is right, she’ll come back to nurse but mostly leaves them for their protection. Often, this is when humans intervene, thinking they are rescuing an abandoned fawn when really they are interfering with the maturation process. When fawns are able to forage and outrun danger, they join the mother, who teaches them how to survive. For the next six to twelve months, the fawn will lose its spots, become one with the herd, and learn to live independently.

Since it’s early June, the fawn is likely early in the exploration phase. I like to think the mother was somewhere nearby in the tree cover, teaching the fawn to mind roads and loud machinery from a distance, allowing it to process its mistake. This time, the fawn learned its lesson, given its nonchalance as it embraced the safety of the field. Next time, maybe it will look before crossing the road.

Mom isn’t a good teacher, she’s a great teacher. Unlike fawns, who have a year to wise up before they’re on their own, I had the privilege of learning from Mom for forty-six years. Great teachers don’t have to say much. They allow situations to speak for themselves. In teacher language, these are called teachable moments.

Even in her final days, as her strength waned and her voice softened, she was still teaching.

Book of the Month: Notes from a Deserter by C.W. Towarnicki

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Under the backdrop of rural Montgomery County, Pennsylvania during the Civil War, Notes from a Deserter delivers a fictionalized account of a real local soldier, William Henry Howe, a war deserter whose grave still sits on his Perkiomenville farm, near where Towarnicki resides. Much of Howe’s life remains largely unknown, but as Towarnicki dove into America’s deadliest conflict and the effects on local farmers joining the cause, he connected the dots between Howe’s 275-mile journey from the Battle of Fredericksburg to a reported firefight with a bounty hunter at Howe’s homestead to the end of a rope at Fort Mifflin, where Howe’s initials are still carved into the jail cell wall. Branching from the main character, Towarnicki captures the period through the points of view of many secondary characters, among them farmers, doctors, soldiers, runaway slaves, and business owners, linking their stories around Howe’s journey.

Towarnicki, born and raised in Warminster, PA, where he graduated from Archbishop Wood, followed his love of the outdoors to the University of Montana before returning home to earn his M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Arcadia University, where we first met. As a writer of historical fiction, he encapsulates the natural world prior to industrialization and the surrounding Philadelphia counties that still cling onto those ideals. While spending a week of residency in Edinburgh, Scotland, with our Arcadia cohort, Towarnicki took several of us to Dunbar and the home of John Muir, the unofficial father of the U.S. National Park and one of our country’s greatest preservationists. He also introduced me to the writings of John McPhee, whose work has had a tremendous impact on my own writing the past ten years.

Here, in the book’s opening, Towarnicki introduces the reader to the main character among his surroundings.

The early glow of dawn emerged with the light of a hovering moon, and blushing red clouds cast faint shadows over the open meadow beside the farmhouse. A barred owl called out in echo of herself, with only a rooster answering.

In that dim beginning of day, William emerged from the wood line holding two rabbits hanging stiff by their feet in one hand, and the traps he pulled in the other. He was a thin man with the hint of a beard. He walked with short, stiff strides as if carrying an invisible sack of feed at all times.

Stepping into the field, he looked uphill toward the stone farmhouse bathing broadside in the sunrise. The window where his wife may have been watching from was a golden mirror of the eastern sky. With a slight tilt of his head, the broad brim of his straw planter’s hat cast his face in a shadow.

The shortening of the days, the recent rains, and his evolving understanding of raising crops had yielded a disorganized patchwork of fields that had not yet produced their potential. He worked the whole growing season in the hopes that his family would be able to rely on the harvest while he was gone to the war. If winter lingered, they would need wild fare to sustain them. He knew this well and laid corners of a springhouse in his mind. Between this imaginary work and dreaming, he could never find the words to tell Hannah of his plans to enlist. Somehow, though, she already knew.

Dealing with tragedies and transformations, Notes from a Deserter effectively portrays the complexity of conflicts that defined our nation’s history through a localized lens.

We Are What We Eat

We’ve all heard the phrase You are what you eat.

If we’re speaking in nutritional terms, yes, you are that cheesesteak, six pack, or ice cream sundae. Or if you err on the healthy side, you can be the chicken salad, protein smoothie, or shrimp fajita.

This common concept can be revamped when analyzing our habits and the identity we want to empower. Consider the gap between what you want and what you’re actually doing to get what you want. Do your actions align with your goals?

For example, if I want to be a writer, yet I spend my writing time scrolling, daydreaming, or engaging my monkey mind, I then become a scroller, a daydreamer, or a monkey. Not a writer.

Say you want to be a better salesperson but spend your time remaining in your comfort zone, fearing rejection, or complaining about the success of others, you’d be a comforter, complainer, or a rejection-fearer. Not a salesperson.

Every team has the same goal of winning the championship.

What separates us from achieving success is the persistence of converting action goals into habits and improving one step at a time. There is a sharpened blade at the end of all that grinding.

In How Champions Think, summarized in a previous post, Dr. Bob Rotella asks if you had a camera that followed you around all day like a reality show, would the camera reveal the identity you want or something else entirely?

Would it see the hard-worker, over-achiever, empathizer, or leader?

Or would it capture the dilly-dallier, coaster, judger, or pretender?

We become our actions. When we strive to reach goals, our behaviors must align with those goals. Action goals steer us toward creating better habits, building the identity we want for ourselves.

Be a runner; not a sleeper-inner. Be an athlete; not a gamer. Be a teacher; not a dictator. Be a parent; not a critic. Be a doer; not a bystander. Be a champion; not an excuse-maker.

 

The Ins and Outs of Mortgage Contingencies

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Unless they have hundreds of thousands of dollars lying around, most potential homebuyers will be acquiring a mortgage to purchase a home. In order to obtain a mortgage, a prospective lender will comb through the buyer’s finances and decide whether or not they are financially capable of affording the home. This process can be both stressful and time sensitive for all parties involved, which is why most real estate professionals recommend an early pre-approval to alleviate some of the tension and confusion of the homebuying process.

Because most buyers require financing, a majority will add a mortgage contingency to an offer on a subsequent home purchase. A mortgage contingency is a clause in an Agreement of Sale that protects the buyer (and seller) from following through with an agreement the buyer cannot afford. In most situations, a mortgage contingency allows a buyer to walk away from a transaction without suffering any legal repercussions or financial liabilities.

In Pennsylvania, there are several ways a mortgage contingency can affect the success of a transaction.

With the help of a lender prior to writing an offer, a buyer will submit a range of potential interest rates on the Agreement of Sale during the pre-qualification stage. After the application process, if the expected interest rate exceeds the maximum amount designated within the 30-60 days between offer acceptance and execution due to extreme fluctuations, the buyer can terminate the contract. This protects a buyer in cases of economic instability outside of their control, which is not as common unless the country’s economy experiences high volatility like we’ve seen in recent months.

Outside of economic volatility, mortgage contingencies have more likely conditions, which is why it’s one of the most important parts of a real estate transaction. When submitting an offer, the buyer will agree on a mortgage commitment date, a date prior to settlement in which they expect to obtain a mortgage approval. Typically, this falls within two weeks prior to settlement on a 30 day closing or a little earlier for a 45-60 day closing.

The buyer must continue to demonstrate good faith in receiving mortgage approval, even if they may not be approved. If a buyer’s mortgage application is denied by a lender, and the buyer either provided inaccurate information or did not do their due diligence, the seller may terminate a contract, and the buyer may lose their deposit.

However, if the buyer does everything within their control to pursue a loan and is denied, they are entitled to a return of their deposit. Any costs the buyer incurs as part of the mortgage approval process (appraisal, title insurance etc.) will be taken as a loss.

How does a mortgage contingency affect the seller?

As stated above, the seller has some control to terminate a deal if the buyer does not hold up their end of the commitment. A seller can terminate a contract if the buyer does not present a mortgage approval by the stated date, the approval does not satisfy the loans terms as stated in the contract, or if the buyer’s mortgage approval has additional conditions not specified in the Agreement of Sale that are not removed with 7 days after the commitment date (conditional home sale, inaccurate approval date, etc.).

A mortgage contingency also affects a seller when the seller receives multiple offers and must evaluate the strength of each offer. The contingency is another way out for a buyer, which means if the buyer doesn’t gain mortgage approval, a seller may be forced to put the house back onto the market, which can be costly, especially if the seller is under contract for a new home of their own.

Another option for a seller, though not as common, can be to offer financial support for a buyer so the mortgage can be approved. Similar to a seller’s concession in another section of the Agreement of Sale, sellers have the ability to pay for loan origination fees or points to help a buyer get their rate within the range stated in the contract. This can be a loss for the seller but means the deal can proceed without the issue of the contingency. If the seller were already planning to contribute to a buyer’s closing costs or agent compensation, this could move support from one place to another to secure the deal.

The final hurdle of the mortgage contingency involves needed repairs before a lender or insurance company can approve the mortgage. These issues would be found during the appraisal and not necessarily the home inspection. Though substantial issues would likely appear in both, the home inspection is a separate contingency with its own conditions. If a property requires immediate repairs in order for the buyer to obtain mortgage approval, a buyer must notify the seller of the repairs, and a negotiation period will follow. Both the buyer and seller will have their own exits if either party does not respond or cooperate with the necessary demands.

What if a buyer chooses to waive a mortgage contingency?

Many believe this makes the offer a cash offer, yet this is misleading. A buyer may waive a mortgage contingency regardless if they are using cash or require a mortgage. Waiving the contingency only means the deal is not dependent on acquiring the mortgage. A buyer who waives the mortgage contingency and who still plans on using a mortgage for funds likely has solid financial footing and confidence they’ll be approved. Waiving a mortgage contingency strengthens an offer, removing a potential buyer exit. If a buyer waives the mortgage contingency and does not qualify for a mortgage, the next steps become complicated because they could owe the seller a substantial amount of money or find another way out.

In most transactions, a seller will request a Buyer Financial Information sheet, which will highlight a buyer’s assets and liabilities to determine buying power. Sellers view this statement if the buyer is presenting an all-cash offer but will also analyze this document if the buyer is obtaining a mortgage for the reason stated above. A seller must do their due diligence as well and be certain a buyer can perform their end of the deal before acceptance.

Although mortgage contingencies have strict conditions, a majority of real estate transactions are dependent on a loan approval process. An experienced, trusted real estate team, which includes agent, lender, title company, and insurance provider can help potential homebuyers get through the variables and into their new home with ease.

Coaching Fundamentals: Reflect and Repeat

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When giving feedback to my college practicum teachers following their lessons, I often start by asking the teacher how they felt about the lesson. Then when I provide feedback, I say, “When you teach this lesson again, [Insert any feedback].”

“You’ll demonstrate with more clarity using the three types of learners.”

“You’ll continue to structure the lesson to maximize practice.”

“You’ll provide more constructive feedback to as many students as possible.”

Or

“You’ll maintain engagement to avoid disruptive behaviors.”

In starting the conversation this way, I’m trying to emphasize how important reflection and repetition are for growth.

It’s easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback while watching inexperienced performers, but it’s more important for young teachers and coaches to self-reflect on a lesson’s successes and failures then have the opportunity to make and incorporate necessary changes.

If coaches can articulate what they did well. they’ll take those wins into future lessons. If they can’t pinpoint what they can fix, I usually back it up with video evidence.

“Replay the demonstration and track the time log.”

“Look at minute fifteen and see the students throwing the basketball off the ceiling.”

“Follow this student and count how many swings they took in 45 minutes.”

Physical evidence is very compelling for young teachers.

Believe me, I’ve turned the camera on myself a few times and opened my eyes to teaching practices I’d still like to improve. But as a cooperating teacher, my purpose is to guide young professionals on how to become better teachers, coaches, and individuals.

Reflection is an integral part of the learning process. Sometimes, because of the pace of the day, we may have limited time to reflect after a lesson. It could be the thirty seconds between one class leaving and the next class arriving, maybe during the bus or car ride home, or while making dinner or before putting the kids to bed. But reflection should be a fundamental practice for teachers and coaches.

What is working? What’s not working? Why? What can I try differently to make the lesson better?

Simple questions, but the answers will guide the next part of the process—Repeat.

As teachers and coaches, we tell our students or players the key to mastery is repetition. Perfect practice makes perfect. Whether it’s free kicks around a wall, foul shots while others talk trash, backhands on the move, or backflips into a foam pit, repetition with quality feedback leads to skill acquisition. During practice time, we intervene with cues or suggestions, coaching points to make the movement better. We wouldn’t let a player pass the ball 10 times in a row to the other team in a game without intervening, so the same concept applies to pedagogy. We want to help young teachers and coaches identify strengths and weaknesses, make necessary adjustments then send them back onto the field.

Inexperienced teachers and coaches are in an infancy stage of their lesson building. They’re often toying with different structures and concepts, exploring their philosophies, in many ways overthinking as they try to focus on improving too many skills at once. Experienced teachers have the benefit of repeating lessons and narrowing their focus. I may teach a lesson a half dozen times a week or more, refining one part every time. When I teach a new lesson or introduce a new concept, the first lessons can be rough, but as reflection and repetition continues, the lesson improves, the goals have more clarity, practice time becomes more efficient, modifications move closer to a flow state, the games have better rules, and students have more engagement, which leads to more time on task and more learning. By the end of the week, goals, activities, and assessments are better aligned.

Over weeks, months, and years of reflect-repeat, experienced teachers become more deliberate about how they teach, how they want learners to perform, and how they define success. Confidence and understanding would never materialize if they taught a lesson once then moved on because of too many mistakes.

One of the difficulties of being a young teacher or coach is limited opportunities inhibit repetition. My young professionals teach a lesson as part of their course then may not be in a position to teach the lesson again for some time. They may need to take the reflect-repeat process with them and apply it at the gym, soccer practice, or summer camp.

It took many summer camps observing experienced coaches for me to learn how to break down a skill. It took an entire semester of student teaching before I felt comfortable in front of students. It took two or three years of teaching on a regular basis, creating, adjusting, and failing to develop my own processes and feel competent. It took a number of years later to feel as if I’d mastered my craft. But I’m still growing and learning how to get better.

As in other areas of life, teaching and coaching takes time to develop requisite skills. That’s why great players don’t always make great coaches. By reflecting on lessons then having opportunities to practice in future sessions, any young teacher or coach can find the path toward growth and mastery more clear.

 

 

 

 

 

How Rory McIlroy Remained Present to Win the Masters

With a chance to win the 2025 Masters, Rory McIlroy stood over a four-foot birdie putt in the first playoff hole and rolled the ball straight into the bottom of the cup. Instantly, he dropped his putter and fell to his knees, flooded with emotions as he buried his face in his hands. Tears of joy, anguish, relief—name it—he experienced it all in one round.

The journey to become a Masters champion and the sixth player to earn a career Grand Slam was long and arduous for Rory. The path alone would break 99.99% of the athletes who tried to emulate it. 

Go back to the 18th hole when he carried a one-shot lead and buried his approach in the sand. Then sent his par putt wide to allow Justin Rose back into the competition. Go back to the 13th when his then four-shot lead suffered a major blow when he found the creek on his third shot and scored a seven. Go back to the opening hole when he started the round with a two-shot lead and made double-bogey.

Rory McIlroy has been one of the dominant players in golf over the last decade, along with Scottie Sheffler, Jon Rahm, and a few others. Yet McIlroy hadn’t won a major since 2014 when he topped Phil Mickelson by one stroke to hoist the PGA Championship, his second major of that year. Since then, in the majors, he finished second four times, including the previous two U.S Opens. He also finished in the top-ten twenty-one times, and was top-five in three out of four majors in 2022.

Last year’s collapse at the U.S. Open nearly broke him.

With a two-shot lead and three holes to go, he missed two par putts within four feet and lost the title to Bryson DeChambeau. The lasting images were of him jetting straight to his car and exiting the club without speaking to anyone.

Recently, McIlroy has been dealing with personal conflicts: a near-divorce that became public for its rapid turnaround as well as the challenges of being the sacrificial spokesperson for the PGA, who became somewhat thrown under a bus after the announced merger with LIV. Add to that mountain of pressure the questions of when he’ll win another major.

Eleven years is an incredible amount of time. Nearly a third of his life. Especially for an athlete whose window of opportunity gets smaller with every passing year.

Something kept McIlroy from self-destruction during the final round of the Masters. Every time he faltered, he rebounded to produce some of the greatest shots of the tournament. His second shot on the 15th was legendary.

After his victory, he spoke about his connection to Dr. Bob Rotella, whose work has been featured previously in this blog from his book How Champions Think. Even the best athletes make mistakes, but what separates champions from the rest of the field is how they remain present. Rotella often ruminates on focusing on the performance process not the result and to make your next shot your best shot, also the title of his most recent book.

Justin Rose, who played himself out of the lead the day before, rallied to shoot the lowest score of the day and tie McIlroy after 72 holes. The experienced Brit carried the momentum heading into the playoff as well as the persona of being a clutch performer with numerous Ryder Cup wins and the 2013 U.S. Open title at Merion.

At the start of the playoff hole, Rory was playing more than Rose. Many would say he was playing against the demons trying to tarnish his own legacy. Others might say he was playing against himself.

How did he respond?

He drove the center of the fairway then drilled an approach to within three feet of the hole, setting up one of the defining moments in his career.

Coaching Fundamentals: Mastering the Demonstration for Player Understanding

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I remember early in my career being bored out of my mind writing objectives. They had been drilled into my head by every professor so much that the mentioning of the word elicited a response similar to opening a trashcan lid and inhaling last week’s fish. I wanted to get to the fun and games. Beginning with the end in mind is one of the most valuable skills a coach can develop. Once the end result is clear, the rest of the session should funnel toward that goal.

When the coach identifies the goal of the session and the supporting activities, it’s time to demonstrate how players are going to progress toward the goal. Inexperienced coaches rush through an explanation of a drill or game then send the group off with limited information on how to perform the activity. Minutes later, chaos ensues. Players are attacking the wrong goal, dribbling out of bounds, or failing to transition, and the coach tosses up his hands and asks what is wrong with today’s youth. Experienced coaches intentionally demonstrate an activity how and where they want the players to perform it with the end result in mind.

When demonstrating for young players, have them sit so they’re more attentive. Don’t allow players to walk around, play with a ball, or talk during the reception of critical information. In creating a respectful environment that exceeds the playing field, listening is a core skill. Review the goal of the activity. “Today, we are going to play a game to improve first-time finishing” or “This training exercise is about pressuring the ball after losing possession.” Connect the activity and its relevance in the game because ultimately that’s where the coach is trying to transfer the performance.

Demonstrate using three learning senses (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) in the space where players will perform the task. The visual learners need to see the activity in motion, where to stand, where to move, and what happens when they transition. The audio learners need verbal cues, simple words and phrases the coach can repeat to emphasize actions. The kinesthetic learners need to experience the activity for themselves and feel their way through the movements. If the session is set in the penalty area with a goal, that’s where the demo should take place.

Experienced coaches follow the I do it, You do it with me, I do it with you, You do it formula for scaffolding before players perform on their own. First, the coach shows the players how to perform the activity. If they can’t perform the activity alone, they use players to help. Then the players perform the activity with the coach’s guidance, repeating until the players can perform it on their own without the coach’s cues. If the coach doesn’t allocate time for players to understand what they are doing, the time wasted trying to re-explain, re-demonstrate, and re-focus destroys the activity, the session, and players’ confidence.

Coaches may have a goal they want players to achieve but may lack the patience for and the understanding of the process of acquiring the skill or concept. Players learn at different rates. Sometimes, an activity is too difficult for players to understand, and the coach may need to simplify the concept. Other times, players may grasp the main ideas immediately. A coach could teach the same concept to ten different groups and have ten different results. Coaching is a constant shift between instruction, assessment, progression, and regression. Learning doesn’t have a deadline. Mastering a skill or concept may take players an entire session, a week, a month, even a season.

Coaches want players to independently solve problems on the field, yet too often they intervene during the problem-solving process to assert their adult experience. Guide the problem-solving process rather than do the work for players. Run a game through several rounds. Check-in with the group. Ask questions for understanding. “What’s working, what’s not working?” Make tweaks. Stop and re-demo if necessary. It’s easier for something to be too easy than too hard. Once the group grasps how the activity flows then throw in wrinkles or scenarios to challenge player thinking. But if the group is confused from the start because they haven’t practiced enough, the activity will implode.

A plumber wouldn’t ask an apprentice on the first day of the job to re-route a bathroom drain all by himself, so coaches should express the same patience with players. Start with a toilet handle and progress to a flange then replace a wax ring. Demonstrate the process then increase the challenge gradually, but allow for mistakes. Failure is part of the process of acquiring a skill. Teach players that’s it’s ok to make mistakes. Because in a game setting, they will make tons of mistakes. Experienced coaches empower players to fail then reinforce skills for how to respond afterwards.

A coach’s main role is to prepare players for success on the competitive field, which begins in a training environment. An activity that aligns goals for all learners, with time to grow and adjust, begins with a clear demonstration. A lack of player understanding might naturally occur because sports are complex and ever-evolving, but coaches can enhance player understanding by modeling the activities in the direction of their defined goals.

Book of the Month: Atomic Habits by James Clear

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Our year started by turning fresh ideas into polished goals, waking those first days bright-eyed and coffee-fueled, ignoring the frigid cold, ready to take on the world. Our new fitness plan was going to burn off those dreaded extra holiday pounds or our pledge to quit smoking, drinking, or spending too much time on our phones was taking shape. Then the goal hit a snag. Research shows that New Year’s resolutions rarely make it past the second month, and eventually re-building areas of our life gets pushed aside with intentions of trying again next year. Building a positive habit doesn’t need to wait for the ball to drop. With the right approach, anyone can master the process of forming habits that last.

One of the more popular nonfiction books in recent years, Atomic Habits takes a simplistic approach to the not-so-simple phenomenon of building or breaking habits. James Clear, the well-known blogger turned habit guru, narrows the process of habit formation into four scientific laws, using the metaphor of minor increments of potential energy compounding over time to create life-changing results.

The first law states to make it obvious (or not obvious). Habits are easier to create when the cues are unavoidable. If the goal is to read more, get an exciting book and put it on a chair, bed, desk, or wherever it will be visible. Then prioritize time for the habit, even if it’s only a few minutes. If the goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables, stock the fridge with the essentials where the snacks would normally go. Or if the goal is to spend less time on the phone, put it in another room during dinner or important work that requires focus.

The second law says to make it attractive. Ever see a young player score their first goal? Parents go crazy, teammates swarm, and the coach gives a power high five. Are the reactions the same for giving an assist, blocking a shot, or making the bed? Behaviors that produce positive reactions inspire repeated behaviors. Positive habits can also be reinforced by the environment and people who support them. If we surround ourselves with fitness enthusiasts, we’ll want to go to the gym more. If we join a book club, our reading patterns will increase.

The third law says to make it easy. Action goals are the activities that progress us closer to our main goals. Often, habits fail because the expectations don’t align with our abilities. We tend to overcomplicate things. If the goal is to run a half-marathon by the spring, we wouldn’t normally start out by running 13 miles on day 1. Yet we approach many goals the same way. Lessen the complexity by focusing on the act of getting out of bed a half-hour earlier, putting the running shoes by the coffee pot, or laying out the gear the night before. Create small wins, and over time they’ll turn into bigger wins. Incremental action steps are the key to sustaining the larger habit.

The fourth law states to make it satisfying. What’s a win without a champagne shower and Queen’s “We Are the Champions?” When we make it six miles on a run without stopping or read a challenging book, we can celebrate by doing something enjoyable. Spent four hours without mindless scrolling on social media? Put another dime in the vacation jukebox, baby. Expanding the second law, the most fulfilling part of turning actions into habits is recognizing success so the behavior becomes even more desirable. Eventually, we wake up in the morning craving those positive rewards.

This all sounds legit, but how do we measure success? How do we know when we’ve progressed to a new level. Clear makes a compelling case for habit tracking, one of the simplest tools for maintaining our motivation and focus, and also a habit in itself. Here he writes about the power of habit tracking:

A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit. The most basic format is to get a calendar and cross off each day you stick with your routine. For example, if you meditate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, each of those dates gets an X. As time rolls by, the calendar becomes a record of your habit streak.

Countless people have tracked their habits, but perhaps the most famous was Benjamin Franklin. Beginning at age twenty, Franklin carried small booklet everywhere he went and used it to track thirteen personal virtues. This list included goals like “Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful” and “Avoiding trifling conversations.” At the end of each day, Franklin would open his booklet and record his progress.

Jerry Seinfeld reportedly uses a habit tracker to stick with his streak of writing jokes. In the documentary Comedian, he explains that his goal is simply to “never break the chain” of writing jokes every day. In other words, he is not focused on how good or bad a particular joke is or how inspired he feels. He is simply focused on showing up and adding to his streak.

Maintaining the flow of action goals is integral to achieving new habit success. Tracking holds us accountable. Doing the activity and recognizing completion keeps the habit formation at the top of our mind. Over a period of time, those repetitive actions eventually evolve from a conscious to an unconscious activity. We can track anything. Gym goers track lifts or cardio sessions, some with the use of technology. Salespeople track phone calls and emails. Teachers track achieved lesson objectives. Business owners track transactions. It doesn’t matter the size of the activities we track, seeing the daily commitment maintains our focus. Even when there are days we miss, and there will be days we miss, starting a new streak without an implosion gets us closer to automaticity.

5 Answers For Potential Homebuyers Entering the Spring Market

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Potential homebuyers are flooded with misinformation: there’s no inventory, interest rates are too high, or saving for a down payment has become too hard. The list of reasons not to buy continues, but the truth is the real estate market is alive and kicking, and it’s about to pick up. The spring market is one of the most active periods of the year. It’s a time of stability between the holidays (extended this year with a Super Bowl parade) and the end of the school year where summer camps and family vacations alter routines. With February breezing by, and Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of 6 more weeks of winter halfway over, potential homebuyers should be preparing for the next steps before we’re celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks and the Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field, wondering where the last six months have gone.

Here are five answers potential homebuyers should know before entering the spring market.

Know Your Why

Whether it’s to find stability, build equity, get away from annoying neighbors, or because life changes happen, a quest for a home starts with a clear objective for exploring what often times can be referred to as the most stressful life decision. Too often this foundational question gets confused with Is it the right time to buy? It’s always the right time to buy. The market doesn’t wait for anyone, but it’s also not a race to the closing table. It should be the right time to buy for the individual(s), and the reason should drive everything else.

Know Your Financial Limits

It’s fun to search online for the dream house with modern updates, an acre yard, two-car garage (Porsche included), fully finished basement, and swimming pool with a patio kitchen. It’s human nature to want something attractive that stretches our boundaries. I want midfield seats every 2026 FIFA World Cup game in Philadelphia. Maybe dabble in a few other cities, too. Why not? These same desires can lead us astray when buying a home, so a potential homebuyer’s next step relates to affordability. An experienced real estate agent can help foster a relationship with a lender, who becomes an integral part of the home-buying team. If securing a mortgage, a future owner needs to project future monthly payments, which includes taxes, insurance, maybe PMI or HOA dues. A mortgage is influenced by debt-ratio and debt-to-income ratio, two key numbers that affect buying power and staying power, along with credit history and employment stability. Once a lender analyzes those numbers and an affordability range becomes more specific, a potential homebuyer will factor in utilities and other monthly payments (car, credit cards, loans, etc.). Only then is it time to explore houses.

Know Your Search Area

Expert knowledge of the search market is one of the biggest skillsets a real estate agent can provide a potential homebuyer. While many of us may drive the same routes to school, the food store, hardware store, our favorite restaurants, or soccer practice, we are so consumed with life and our 90s hip-hop playlists to notice the transactions happening all around us. Real estate is hyper-specific. The value of the same property in two different neighborhoods can vary for a number of reasons. Curb appeal, homeowner maintenance, location, and local economy trends are only some of the factors that influence value. Just because one property sold for X amount last spring doesn’t mean it will hold the same value this spring. It could be higher or lower. A property may sell in five days while a similar property in another area sits for months. Value is not an exact science, but knowledge of the search area and comparable details (bedrooms, bathrooms, basement, garage, yard, pool etc.) puts any potential homebuyer in a better position to find the right home before it’s gone.

 Know Your Competition

Although a positive mindset helps turn those dreams into reality, potential homebuyers aren’t alone. Many other qualified buyers are looking for a similar home with many of the same features in the same area, and they may be presenting more attractive offers. Each situation is different, but before visualizing the tap-in closing and house-warming party, future owners must prepare for competition and decide with an agent how they will stand out. Sometimes, the best offer isn’t always the most lucrative. Sellers have their own WHY. Do they need an early closing? A later closing? Are they financially stressed? Do they want the most secure financing? Do they want to sell “as is?” Do they have their own emotional attachments? Are they already living somewhere else? These are only some of the many questions that could alter the direction of what would make the best offer to match the sellers’ WHY.

 Know the Process

In a perfect world, the potential homebuyer finds the dream home on day 1, submits a great offer (under ask) that gets accepted, and moves right in 30 days later with no hang-ups or required maintenance. Search To Turn Key, or STTK. It doesn’t always happen that way, but if it does, they are organizing the next outing to the sports book. In most scenarios, the home-buying process takes time. And why rush? As stated earlier, there’s no race to the finish, but there may be situations that affect the smoothness of the ride. The right house may not be available. Offers have counter-offers or rejections. Buyers have contingencies. Inspections uncover major flaws. Financial lightning bolts disrupt mortgage approval. Homes may appraise for less than the agreed contract price. Settlement dates change. These are only some of the situations that affect the process. Despite challenges, an experienced agent can help stabilize the home search until it’s time to for the homebuyer to walk up the front steps and into their new home.  

 

Investing Basics with Chris Strivieri, Founder and Senior Partner of Intuitive Planning Group in Alliance with Equitable Advisors

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It’s easy to get wrapped up in stories over the holidays. Themes of love, redemption, and generosity dominate seasonal tales dating back centuries, and they’ve taken many forms, from a lonely green sasquatch living in a mountain-top cave desiring social interaction, to the down on her luck city-dwelling everywoman meeting her prince charming in a country town. But whether it’s classics like Christmas Vacation, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, or the Hallmark catalogue, money tends to play a role. But one doesn’t need to rely on a Christmas bonus as lucrative as Clark Griswold’s, the unexpected arrival of giving homeowners in Bedford Falls, or a haunted boss’ change of heart to overcome the financial pinch that often accompanies the holiday season.

For many, the new year brings revised financial visions. All one needs is the right strategy and an experienced advisor to turn long-term financial dreams into a reality. “One of the best areas for clients to start investing is with either their employer plan (401k, 403b, 457b) or with an individual IRA or Roth IRA,” said Chris Strivieri, an advisor with Equitable. With 33 years at Equitable, Strivieri, a Villanova grad and former basketball coach, recently started a firm within the company called Intuitive Planning Group, whose mission is to help clients achieve their lifelong goals while being guardians of their financial wealth.

“At a minimum, it is suggested to take advantage of any matching contribution that your employer provides. For example, if your employer matches dollar for dollar up to 3% of your compensation, make sure you are saving 3% from your paycheck. The match is money that comes to you for just participating.”

Sounds like free money? Old Ebenezer Scrooge’s eyes just burst. In an employer match, an employer will contribute to the employee’s retirement account dollar for dollar what the employee contributes. Most companies offer up to a 3% match, with a partial match up until a certain percent, for example 4% or 5%, when they no longer match. After that limit, the contribution is up to the employee’s discretion. If an employee was debating how much to contribute, decided they had other financial priorities, and only contributed 2%, they’d be leaving a full 1% percent off each period of their own money in addition to another 1% of what the employer would pay. Not only is that giving up free money in the present but also provides less money that can grow over time, which could lead to a significant reduction of value compared to taking a full match.

Many employees may not have access to an employee sponsored plan, so other options are available to ensure the safety of an individual’s money and the potential to compound earnings over time. “If you don’t have a plan at work,” Strivieri said, “make sure you are saving into a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. The difference is important to understand. The traditional IRA provides a tax deduction up front and the money grows tax deferred. The Roth does not provide a tax break but allows for the funds to grow tax-free.”

To clarify, when an employee puts money into a traditional IRA, it is taken after taxes, which can be fully deducted if the individual is under the limit for Modified Adjusted Gross Income ($123,000 joint, $77,000 single). If the MAGI is over the limit, a partial deduction may be allowed. The money will grow tax-deferred, which means when it’s time to be taken out, generally required by age 73, the individual will then pay taxes on the withdrawal. In a Roth IRA, the employee contributes after taxes, but the amount cannot be deducted at tax time. However, the money will grow without paying taxes or penalties upon withdrawal of contributions and can be withdrawn for any reason at any time. Tax-free and penalty-free withdrawals of earnings can only be taken if certain requirements exist, for example a 5-year aging of the account and if the individual is 59 ½ or older or meets one of the following conditions: disability, first-time home purchase, or death.

Once an employee has chosen the right plan for financial growth and determined the minimum amount to be invested, there’s one more key detail to remember. “It’s important to know what the limits are,” Strivieri added. “The individual limit for employer plans in 2025 is $23,500 for individuals under age 50. If you are over age 50, you can save an additional $7,500. For IRA and Roth IRA, the limit is $7,000 per year with an additional $1,000 if you are over 50. Knowing the limits and taking advantage of these plans is a critical piece to a comfortable retirement.”

Now that an individual has formed a plan for financial contributions, it’s not yet time to plan on installing a new pool or feeding the entire town with the returns once the time to withdraw arrives. Even with a 20% plus growth the past two years (2023, 2024) in the stock market, something Strivieri said is not normal and shouldn’t be expected, he added, “Investing is a long-term plan. Volatility is normal, so it is important to stay invested with this time frame in mind.”

Re-assessing investment options, creating a future timeline, and taking action now can get any individual closer to their long-term financial success.

Book of the Month: The MetaShred Diet

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We all make New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s to be more present, spend more time with family, or hit that business goal, the change in the calendar provides an opportunity to assess what’s working or not working in our lives and plan a new course of action. For many, that involves getting in better shape and committing to a healthy diet. However, too often those visions of being ripped on a South Jersey beach by July end a couple of weeks into January when life has other ideas.

Committing to healthier eating may be difficult because it requires preparation and discipline. We have to first finish the Christmas cookies, and those leftover bottles of bubbly aren’t going to drink themselves. Fortunately, Dr. Michael Roussell has taken care of the legwork. In his book The MetaShred Diet, the former Men’s Health Nutrition editor maps out a 30 (or 60) day diet plan that guarantees immediate results. I don’t mean the one and done approach where we drop a few pounds then gain it all back with one St. Patty’s Day bender. With preparation and discipline, The MetaShred Diet will help build that desirable physique, creating lifelong habits along the way.

What makes MetaShred so different than other diets? For one, the goal is eating enough food to satisfy daily needs, which are calculated prior to following one of six levels based on caloric requirements. Although the plan is ketogenic based, which means reaching a stage where the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, Roussell considers the diet a metabolic reset and not a full-time guide, targeting a specific caloric intake while getting all the essential nutrients.

The plan is easy to follow. Prior to starting, the individual will calculate basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure rate using proven formulas to determine daily caloric needs then reduce that number by 500 calories, not a significant drop. We’re talking one to two fewer servings and eliminating sugars and sweets, empty-calorie foods, and yes, alcohol. The plans follow specific meals from Roussell’s database of recipes with the flexibility of mixing favorites as long as they are within the current phase (fat loss primer or fat loss acceleration). Even after the 30 (or 60) day plan is up, healthy habit formation will lead to MetaShred’s overall goal of building nutritional confidence.

Satiety is one of the core principles of MetaShred, and the feeling of fullness comes from eating enough of the right foods—vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, and protein, one of the most misunderstood macros according to Roussell.

One of the most common antiprotein cries you will hear is that people are already getting too much protein. You’ll then be told that women only need 46 grams of protein and men only need 56 grams. This is true. If you’re only interested in getting enough protein so that you don’t become ill from malnutrition, then please limit your protein intake to no more than 46 or 56 grams, respectively, per day. If you’re looking to get ripped without constantly feeling like you’re so hungry that you could eat shoe leather, you’ll want to take a different approach. The MetaShred Diet isn’t about preventing deficiency, it’s about optimizing and maximizing your progress. And you need more protein to do that.

Built within the MetaShred Diet are concepts that promote muscle protein synthesis. Research shows that getting at least 25 to 30 grams of protein each meal stimulates muscle protein synthesis, triggers satiety, and eliminates the condition known as “skinny fat” in which an individual loses both fat and muscle when trying to restrict calories, resulting in unhealthy weight loss and the body’s natural response to hold onto fat and burn protein as fuel. Roussell emphasizes protein timing, especially post-workout protein smoothies when synthesis peaks.

I found MetaShred over five years ago, after I’d turned forty. I struggled with energy and felt frustrated when minor injuries limited my workouts. I’d developed a bit of a dad bod because my workouts weren’t delivering the same results, yet the main issue was poor eating habits. The first time I followed the diet, I lost 3 pounds the first week and 5 more the second week, but by the third week, the fat burned away as if I were back in preseason training. I lost 8 more pounds over the final two weeks and was soon at my college soccer weight. More importantly, muscle definition returned without muscle loss, and my energy increased, all while maintaining my normal workouts. The only change was eating.

Sugar was the easiest ingredient to cut. I realized how many foods I was eating contain added sugars. It’s shocking. I still enjoy my favorite pizza sparingly, but I’ve learned the value of foods like almond flour and cauliflower rice in my meal planning, which centers around a protein and not a carb like in traditional dishes. I eat more than enough vegetables and fruits, adding variety, and I experiment more with simple spices, herbs, and minimal amounts of sauces like soy, teriyaki, and buffalo, which impact flavor without the need for heavy sweeteners.

At first, the plan can appear overwhelming. With so many new ingredients and so much meal preparation, the first time I followed the diet I felt like a full-time chef. I spent longer than usual in the supermarket finding ingredients and too much time in the kitchen. Soon, I became more efficient. Dinners are lunches the next day by preparing extra portions, and after morning workouts, parfaits make ideal breakfast choices because they’re quick and transportable. I don’t follow the plan throughout the year. It’s not designed that way. I stick to it one month, usually before summer or at the start of the year when the holidays get away from me.

The results are undeniable. Commit to the plan for 30 days (no cheat meals) and experience a new (or old) you.

For more information, listen to Dr. Mike’s podcasts, watch his videos, or read his articles for Men’s Health.

Residential Housing Trends in 2025

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As a new administration transitions into the White House and the Fed continues to play with interest rate cuts, many home owners and potential home buyers are left wondering what impact it will have on the housing market. Very little, according to some experts. Freddie Mac reports the current 30-year fixed interest rate range remains between 6.08%-7.44% over the past 52 weeks. Potential buyers and home owners looking to refinance should expect the lower end in 2025 but no significant drop.

2024 saw a record-high for cash buyers, who made up 26% of the market. The year also saw a record-high for median age of first-time home buyers, rising to 38 years old. As buyers navigate inflation, interest rates, and cash flow availability, many are tapping into alternate sources to complete home sales. 25% of buyers used a gift or loan from a friend to purchase, 20% took out money from financial assets, and 7% used inheritance money.

Multi-generational households rose to 17%, an all-time high, which means that many families are pooling resources to make homeownership more affordable. Single women made up 24% of the market compared to 11% of single men.

The Bucks County Association of Realtors reports the median sales price throughout the county is $500,000, up 6.4% from October and a 13.4% increase from November 2023. Homes have sat for an average of 25 days, up one more day than the 5-year average. The association also reports less competition for homes this year than last year, which is a positive sign for buyers. Contract ratio, which measures how many buyers are competing for the same home, was 1.04 buyers per home in November, up from October’s 1.03 but down from November 2023’s 1.16 and significantly down from the 5-year average of 1.44 buyers per home.

At the national level, Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors, reports that home sales should rise in the coming years. The 3% year-over-year gains in 2023 and 2024 are a sign that the housing market should improve. He predicts existing homes sales to rise by 9% in 2025 with new homes sales up 11%. In 2026, he sees existing home sales to rise 13% in 2026 with new homes sales tapering to 8%.

Source: Bright MLS


From this time last year, half of the highlighted markets exceeded 2023 sales while the other half fell slightly below the previous year, but the average percentage shows a 6% increase from 2023 totals. In all of the markets, except Doylestown Township, homes have been listed at higher prices than in 2023 with an average increase of 8.1%. Homes in Newtown Township and Plumstead Township have listed for significantly higher than in 2023. In all but Doylestown Borough, sales prices have gone up. Plumstead Township and Horsham Township have seen significant rises in sale prices, 16% and 10% respectively.

Homes in the highlighted markets are generally spending more time between listing and closing. Houses in Doylestown Township have seen the biggest change in time on the market, reaching an average of 36 days in 2024. Homes in Plumstead Township, to go along with rising sale prices, have spent fewer days on the market, a 21% difference, which means this is one area that still remains a seller stronghold. Doylestown Borough has also seen a slightly less than 30% decrease in days on the market but sales prices have also decreased by of over 2%. As a whole, the highlighted markets average a 7.8% increase in sale prices from 2023 to 2024 while spending just over 5% longer on the market, which is consistent with both local and national trends.

Source: Bright MLS


Breaking down the first half of 2024 versus the second half of 2024, home sale prices in the $300,000 to $800,000 range went down in Newtown and Horsham, which saw decreases of 8.3% and 6.5% respectively. Plumstead saw a 4.8% increase, Doylestown Township an 8.6% increase, Doylestown Borough a 7.3% increase, and Warminster dipped 1%, for a .8% average increase among the six markets. Houses in three of the markets (DT, DB, and PT) sat fewer days in the second half of the year while Newtown and Warminster followed the local and national trends. Newtown’s and Warminster’s numbers show a balancing market toward the end of 2024 with decreases in sales prices and more time spent between listing and closing.

Book of the Month: How Champions Think by Dr. Bob Rotella

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There are books that reside on the bookshelf and there are books that remain bedside. Dr. Bob Rotella’s How Champions Think represents the latter. As a whole, the book can be a guide in teaching the methods and ideas used to help some the greatest athletes of our time prepare for mental success. But when time is limited and information can only be consumed between work, errands, mealtime, or the drive from one game to another, Dr. Rotella’s book becomes a masterpiece. Taken one chapter at a time, a simple phrase or passage can bounce around the mind for hours and provide the key to either unlocking a current problem or reinforcing the path to lucidity.

For decades, Rotella has been known among golf circles as one of the premier sports psychologists. Though golf and sports are an accurate metaphor for life, one doesn’t need to be a golfer or an athlete to find the value of his lessons. Insert work, family, relationships, hobbies, or passions, the comparisons are endless and the messages remain the same. Performance of the mind can be as important if not more important than the performance of the body.

The conversational tone and ease of Rotella’s writing makes it feel as if the reader is on a couch in his basement office surrounded by dozens of photos of the champions he’s helped reach the top. With my athletic days behind me, I’ve found the lessons applicable with the transfer of mastered soccer concepts toward everyday principles in teaching, coaching, writing, and real estate.

Mental health has been a hot-button topic for obvious reasons, but one doesn’t need to be dealing with failure, rejection, or depression to seek mental clarity. A healthy mind can lead to a greater quality of life, but if one’s goal is to be exceptional in a given field, Rotella makes the case that a positive mindset separates the champions from the contenders on a consistent basis.

There are many valuable quotes and passages, but here is one of my favorites:

It’s no coincidence that Phil Mickelson has been a highly successful, exciting golfer, and that he likes to say, “The birdies are in the woods.” What Phil means is that he remains optimistic even when he drives the ball off line, into the woods or rough instead of onto the fairway. That optimism is one reason he sometimes hits amazing recovery shots, like the one he hit off the pine straw to the 13th green en route to taking the 2010 Masters.

The opposite of this sort of situational optimism is an attitude of fear, concern, and doubt. In a word, pessimism. Pessimism tends to rouse the conscious brain and get it engaged. Our minds are programmed to work that way. In certain kinds of difficult situations, it helps to think things out calmly and rationally. I wouldn’t want my financial consultant, for instance, to pick investments for me without engaging it. But the conscious mind isn’t good for shooting or putting. It tends to make basketball players and golfers move stiffly and awkwardly. Balls clank off the rim and putts lurch past the hole.

“The birdies are in the woods” is a phrase that applies to all facets of life, and the message is the foundation of Rotella’s latest book Your Best Shot is Your Next Shot. We make mistakes. We call bad plays. Make the wrong substitution. Hit bad shots. Lose games. But many of us who possess an athlete’s brain continue to command our quest for improvement. Remaining in the present and focusing on the next play (shot/conversation/deal/test/moment) could be the single-most important piece of advice from a legendary mentor whose clients include the exceptional.

As a soccer player, I dabbled with visualization, meditation, progressive relaxation, goal-setting, and self-talk. I consider myself confident, but in hindsight, had I embraced the full power of mental clarity—performing without interference, accepting mistakes, finding and maintaining a flow state, loving the grind, achieving learned effectiveness—I would have spent as much time training my mind to reach its full potential as I did running, lifting, or shooting into a goal. Following Mickelson’s advice, we don’t need to look back to move forward. Whether standing over an approach at the par 4 16th at Five Ponds or preparing for the next sales call, the next moment represents a new opportunity to display that champion’s mindset.

Book of the Month: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

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Since early adulthood, my bookshelf has been filled with the latest and greatest in the fields of psychology, success, and performance. Recently, I discovered Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton Business School whose primary research is in motivation and meaning. He has given numerous TED Talks, most of which can be viewed online, and his podcast Re:Thinking is a weekly staple. Hidden Potential helps readers recognize and understand qualities that lead to overall success in a wide range of fields. Many former and current athletes may not be surprised that possessing a growth mindset, pushing discomfort, being coachable, and embracing failure are among the many topics discussed.

Grant’s chapter Transforming the Daily Grind narrows down the importance of deliberate play. In particular, he highlights the relationship between trainer Brandon Payne and Steph Curry in which Payne transforms Curry’s intense training sessions into a game. I’ve long believed passionately about the value of deliberate play, which began with my time as an athlete and continued into my teaching and coaching practices. It is the secret ingredient in athletes and teams transferring skills and concepts from the training ground to the competitive field.

Here's a brief passage:

To make practice fun while building technical skills, Brandon created a menu of deliberate play activities. In Twenty-One, you get a minute to score twenty-one points with three-pointers, jump shots, and layups (worth one). But after each shot, you have to sprint to the middle of the court and back. Getting out of breath during the game stimulates the fatigue of the real game. “Every drill is a game,” Brandon explains. “There’s always a time to beat. There’s always a number to beat. If you beat the number and you don’t beat the time, you still lose.”

The downside of competing against others is that you can win without improving. They might have a bad day, or you might benefit from a stroke of good luck. In Brandon’s form of deliberate play, the person you’re competing with is your past self, and the bar you’re raising is for your future self. You’re not aiming for perfect—you’re shooting for better. The only way to win is to grow.

The basis of deliberate play is finding a flow state that balances fun and focus. It’s the understanding that how one practices is what separates great people, teams, and organizations from the rest. It’s been a philosophy long adopted by Brazilian soccer players, award-winning writers and musicians, and many other successful creators.

Grant’s work in not only primary research but in compiling the research of others draws upon a wide range of thinkers and doers. Even in his previous books, Think Again and Originals, he explores small characteristics successful people and groups share that may just help the rest of us find what we need to move that needle closer in our favor.

Professional Spotlight: James George, President, Global Mortgage

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What would happen if a team walked onto a field without a goalie, a shortstop, or a center? That’s how valuable a mortgage expert can be for a homebuyer. We all can use someone to ease the financial pressures of achieving or maintaining our goals of homeownership, but having the right professional can feel like playing alongside Andre Blake, Trea Turner, or Jason Kelce.

Founded in 2001 and located in Warminster, PA, Global Mortgage, Inc. is licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Florida. “We assist clients on credit enhancement, program flexibility, and education,” Global Mortgage President James George said. “Whether it’s a purchase or refinance transaction, our brokerage has options to assist all types of clients.”

For the past several years, homebuyers (I was one of them) found themselves competing for overpriced homes with many upkeep items and rates that were stretching their budgets. That may have created a belief that maintaining homeownership is out of reach. According to George, the time may be now to act. The latest rate drop has made it easier for owners to lower their rate or even cash out to consolidate debt or make that home improvement they’ve been waiting to start.

For potential homebuyers, many who are waiting to build a 20% down payment on a conventional loan, the fear of record high prices may be keeping them from fulfilling their goals of ownership. Yet even in this market, buyers can still find solutions. “The challenge to save 20% plus closing costs can end up costing the client money,” George said. “Homes have increased 10% in price year after year, and it’s difficult to save at that rate. We offer numerous 3% down programs and even 100% financing options to assist the client in obtaining the house at a price now rather than watch the prices continue to increase.”

Potential homeowners can feel better knowing how a mortgage broker helps them acquire their dream home. With the process of homebuying affected by the recent NAR settlement and buyers on the hook for agent commissions, one positive is that George doesn’t see a big difference in the way buyers close. “Many of our transactions remain somewhat unchanged. There are options for rate credits when these situations arise.”

This means homebuyers can still trust the experience a valuable team member provides when the game is on the line.

The current market has been difficult for young homebuyers. Whether a lack of savings, mounting student loan and credit card debt, or the increasing cost of groceries, additional monthly expenses affect debt ratios and ultimately buying power. But before parents worry about their twenty-something year old children and their families moving back in, George and his team recognize new trends. “The younger buyers are looking at multi-unit homes to share the cost of mortgage debt, and several clients are purchasing a home with friends or family members to get started in the market.” While building equity through a partnership can help homebuyers achieve similar end results, Global Mortgage does offer grants and specialty programs to allow younger buyers to focus on lowering debts rather than runaway mortgage payments.

Despite the changes in the industry over the past several years, owning a home is still a stable investment and a dream worth pursuing. With the right teammates, current owners can avoid feeling bogged down by house expenses, and potential homebuyers can be a champion of the process.

Visit www.globalmortgageteam.net to achieve your homeownership goals today. For additional tips, Global Mortgage also posts a blog with invaluable information.

Buyers Post-NAR Settlement

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If you haven’t been following the real estate market lately, you may have missed the latest news to affect the homebuying process. Earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors settled a class action lawsuit over alleged antitrust violations, which resulted in slight changes to how real estate transactions occur moving forward. Though the NAR affirms that agent commissions have always been negotiable, the center of the issue is the communication and transparency of consumer information. As a result, the consumer is now more informed when entering a transaction, and though current homebuyers may have been affected the most, the long-term benefit of the settlement lies within the homebuyer’s control in the process.

So what’s changed?

Agreements between a buyer and broker via an agent are now required before an agent is permitted to show a home.

Though buyer agreements have been strongly recommended for decades, most real estate buyer-agent relationships had been solidified through an Agreement of Sale. Buyer agent compensation is Included in this agreement. Prior to August 17th 2024, buyer agents were typically paid by the seller through what is known as a broker cooperation agreement. Essentially, a seller’s agent was paid a commission by the seller then split that commission with a buyer agent for bringing the buyer to the table. The buyer didn’t need to put up the funds necessary to pay their agent because compensation came from the seller. That has since changed. A buyer is now responsible for compensating their agent as agreed to in the buyer agency contract, and that number has to be specific in the BAC, whether a percentage of the sale price, a flat amount, or any other agreed upon number.

What’s important to note is that agent commissions are negotiable. When buyers are about to work with an agent, they should have conversations upfront about what the agent will do and what their time and efforts are worth. Also, buyers do not need a contract to speak with an agent at an open house or inquire about their services.

During this post-settlement transitional period, buyers may be better informed about their options but may not be financially prepared to incur these extra costs. Fortunately, support may still come from the seller. In an Agreement of Sale, two categories under Seller Concessions define how buyers may request financial support. Sellers may offer a buyer broker fee or closing cost assistance. The buyer broker fee refers to a buyer asking a seller to cover some or all of their agent’s commission. Sellers may still approve a seller’s agent to share a portion of the commission with the buyer agent as had been done in the past. All that transaction requires is an additional form that recognizes the agreement between two cooperating brokers. This section asks a seller directly for support. Closing cost assistance, formerly known as a seller’s assist, provides money back to a buyer at closing to pay for costs not associated with buyer broker fees. So whether it’s support with an agent commission or additional closing costs, a buyer may receive assistance from the seller to secure the deal. Other options for buyers to find additional funds should be discussed with a mortgage lender.

But why would a seller offer assistance to a buyer’s agent? For the simple reason that sellers still need buyers. Even in a seller’s market, more buyers means stronger offers. Sellers who fail to offer some sort of cooperation this soon after the settlement changes could be losing out on an opportunity to reach motivated buyers.

The second change to come out of the settlement for buyers focuses on the role Multiple Listing Services play in the sharing of information. MLSs are the most prominent way brokers share information with other brokers. After August 17th, 2024, seller agents are not permitted to advertise buyer agent compensation through the MLS. Sellers can still offer buyer agent compensation, as stated earlier, but must relay that information through other forms of communication (conversations, company website, flyers, signs, social media, etc.). A buyer’s agent can’t just rely on the information through MLS. They will need to pick up the phone or check another source.

In the end, the recent changes from the NAR settlement should bring more awareness to the buyer about the process of real estate transactions and encourage transparent conversations about a buyer-agent relationship. That in itself, should help buyers navigate one of the most stressful financial decisions of their life.

If you’d like to subscribe to Forward Thinking, a newsletter that combines real estate, soccer, performance, and more, click on the link below.

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