2024: The Word

Starting in 2020, I have chosen a word each year to set the tone for my year and starting in January 2021, I began posting a quote in my Instagram story including a hashtag with my word. It’s a daily reminder of what I want to focus on and how I want to approach the day.

Previous words include (with links to the corresponding articles):

-?????? 2020: Present

-?????? 2021: Forward

-?????? 2022: Upward

-?????? 2023: Time

This year’s word came to me rather easily, but I will come back to that shortly.

This coming March, I will be celebrating my 50th birthday and I am very focused on maximizing the experience and the year. For the first time, I purchased Jesse Itzler 's “Big Ass Calendar,” to see the year in its totality to ensure that I prioritize what’s important without losing sight of the things that I want to accomplish for the year.

Jesse includes a link to a video which has some tips and suggestions about using the calendar. He discusses three main concepts:

-?????? Choose a “misogi” which is a large project or challenge for the year. It will provide the year with meaning and a sense of accomplishment.

-?????? “Kevin’s rule” is embarking on an activity or mini adventure you otherwise wouldn’t once every other month.

-?????? One new healthy habit each quarter of the year.

If followed, at the end of the year, you will have one major accomplishment, six new adventures, and four new healthy habits. I am still working on the calendar. Consider it a work in progress and I am developing the ideas for Jesse’s suggestions. To date, I have some great things planned and I am excited to create the balance of the calendar to maximize what I can accomplish.

Back to my word.

My 2024 word is FLY.

At different times in my life, I have struggled with travel anxiety which may surprise many. However, I decided a few years ago to address it and get past it so I could enjoy different experiences that required getting on an airplane. This has gone well for me, and I traveled more in 2023 than I have any other year including Tampa, Austin, Barcelona, Boulder, Disney, Vegas, and more, but it wasn’t necessarily intentional. There wasn’t a plan.

I am going to be focused on taking it to the next level and my 2024 travel agenda currently includes Boston (twice), Tampa, Vegas (less than 24 hours!), Los Angeles (twice), Disney and Milan which all appear on my calendar. I will fly to create amazing experiences.

In late 2022, I joined JLL. While I was welcomed and acclimated quickly, with my first full year behind me, I feel that process is now complete, and I am ready to fly as a member of the best team in the market.

Starting in 2020, COVID impacted the way companies and people utilize office space. Starting in 2022, soaring interest rates and lack of liquidity for office investments impacted investors’ appetite for office investments. We have used this time to reinforce relationships and provide thoughtful advice. I am optimistic that the tide is turning, and we have an amazing pipeline that I am truly excited about. It’s time to fly and the goal is simple: #1 market share.

As I was working on the accompanying playlist (songs with Fly in the title), I found Fly From the Inside by Shinedown that includes the following lyrics:

I am focused on what I am after

The key to the next open chapter

'Cause I found a way

To steal the sun from the sky

Long live that day

That I decided to fly from the inside

My 2024 will be defined by my decision to fly both on the inside and outside. I will invest my time doing amazing work on behalf of our clients, exploring and growing my new relationship, celebrating my 50th, enjoying Yankee Fantasy Camp and the 2024 E Street Band tour, and, of course, my greatest joy…my kids (they have amazing things planned for this year too!). This year is also my last year to coach softball which has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I plan to enjoy every second knowing it will fly by. Pun intended.

Balance is crucial and my calendar will help. I took a class years ago and the mantra was, “plan your work and work your plan.” That’s the only way I will be able to fly, literally and figuratively, in the way that I intend to.

Day by day, minute by minute, maximizing my ability to live out loud, do great work, and fly for as many of the 525,600 minutes as possible. If you want to come along, let’s discuss!

If you would like the link to the playlist, shoot me a note. It’s a work in progress, but I am happy to share.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and meaningful 2024 and beyond.