The Daily Grind with Matt Clarke

What's Your Word?

Written by Matt Clarke | April 23, 2026

 As everyone gathered in the conference room, you could feel the energy. Almost like a large family gathering for Sunday dinner, there was a comfort between them that comes from a place that is both safe and familiar. An energy that fed off of one another and grew the more they talked. You could tell they did this a lot, and unlike those meetings where the energy is toxic and selfish, this was refreshing. There was trust. There was creativity. There was openness. There was teamwork. I was greatly encouraged as I sat with our team in Omaha, Nebraska, feeding off of their energy and fed by their systems and ideas. 

At one point, we went around the room and discussed the one word that each of them had set for the theme of their year. Here are some words they revealed:

Growth: Spiritually and professionally. Adding missing structures and learning in both areas.

Discipline and Consistency: In specific places in their business, they committed to adding process and follow-through. To execute.

Curiosity: Listening to understand. Recognizing that everything is a bit different than it appears on the surface. Ask better and more questions.

Reborn: A renewed fire to every day to do something that moves them to the next phase in their career.

Local: Doubling down on a deep local knowledge and local relationships, beyond the transaction, helping families live better lives through their local connections. “I got a guy.”

What I loved most about the discussion was when we dove into each word. They knew why it was important to their ability to deliver an experience to the community, elevate themselves personally, and how it fit into their overall system. They had a plan and a why, and the results to prove it.

"Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards." (Proverbs 12:14) 

Think about a word that defines what you are focused on bringing about right now. A simple guiding thought that can keep you on track with where you want to go, both personally and professionally. Write it down. Share it with your team. Create a plan. And then go to work on making it true.

One of the things I appreciated most about the discussion was that they didn't talk about the words as if they were dreams. It felt more like they were making commitments to each other. They shared the work they were actually doing behind the word, and they knew each other's words in advance because they had previously discussed them. It was a team working together to help each person grow in a way that contributed to the whole.

My word was courage. Courage to ask God for truth. Courage to seek input from the right people. Courage to take action.

The Bible says wise words bring many benefits, and when coupled with hard work, will lead to the right result.

What's your word? Will you do the work?
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