A New Plan for the New Year!

At the start of every new year, everyone will set New Year's resolutions. While it is always good to set goals, resolutions are hit or miss for a lot of people, and it takes a certain kind of discipline to stick to the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. At McKenna Property Management, we don't really believe in New Year's resolutions. This isn't to say that we don't set goals. Jenni, the broker/owner, strongly believes in having all the team members set goals and create beneficial habits throughout the year. In the past, this has taken the form of 90-day challenges, in-office competitions, and many more creative ways to encourage this form of self-growth.

In 2024, McKenna Property Management is using a system that many others have used to find success in changing their outlook on life and building happier lives for themselves: the 15-Point Plan by Ben Kinney. Since Jenni firmly believes that this program will bring positive change to our lives, we want to share it with you, in case it may be something that can help you. While there is a podcast covering the 15-Point Plan, accessible here, we will cover the basics below.

The system that we have laid out for ourselves is to strive to complete 13 of the 15 points, 5 days out of the week. This leaves leeway for rough/bad days and being unable to accomplish some of the points each day. In addition to tracking the points completed, we will also be tracking how happy we are each day, on a scale of 1-10. The hypothesis is that we will be able to see that the more points we accomplish, the happier we will feel, and we will realize which of the points are most important for our personal wellbeing. The 15 different points are as follows:

• Goals
• Write them, rewrite them often, and create a vision board. Knowing your goals is the first step to achieving them.
• Movement
• Elevate your heart rate daily to release endorphins. If that's not possible, ensure you at least meet your daily step count to keep your body in motion.
• Hydration
• Recognize that your body needs more water than you think. Make a daily effort to reach your H2O intake goals for optimal well-being.
• Sleep
• Prioritize sleep as a crucial building block for great health and high energy levels. Ensure you get your daily required amount of rest.
• Nutrition
• Maintain a healthy eating routine to sustain high energy levels and keep grumpiness at bay. Eat well and eat often.
• Supplement
• Take vitamins and minerals to optimize your body and mind for peak performance.
• Influences
• Be mindful of what you pay attention to. Eliminate negativity, whether it's from news, movies, or people, if necessary.
• Journal
• Cultivate the habit of daily journaling. Record your experiences, thoughts, and lessons learned every morning or night.
• Mindfulness
• Set aside time each day for purposeful meditation or prayer to center yourself mentally and spiritually.
• Gratitude
• Practice gratitude daily, either on your own, as a family, or in a group when possible. It's impossible to be grateful and angry simultaneously.
• Laugh
• Set aside 30 seconds daily to laugh for no reason or indulge in comedy. It's a transformative practice that changes your energy, mood, and state.
• Learn
• Make it a goal to learn something new every day. Read books, listen to podcasts, watch videos, or take courses to stimulate your mind.
• Hobbies
• Find a daily activity you can look forward to, plan, and research. Hobbies add joy and excitement to your routine.
• Serve
• Volunteer, donate, or help a friend or organization in need. Shifting your focus from yourself to others can be incredibly rewarding.
• Time
• Protect daily alone time for self-reflection and create social time to boost your energy levels, irrespective of whether you're an introvert or an extrovert.

While this may seem like a lot of things to try and do, it is not as monumental as it looks as first glance. These are not meant to be grandiose actions, but just little things designed to change your mindset over time. For example, "Serve" does not need to be as large as donating blood or going to a food bank (although these things definitely count), it can be as simple as holding the door open for someone or picking up litter you walk by. The focus is less on the scale of the action, but the thought process involved. One other complication is that actions cannot be used for more than one category in a day. For example, if you enjoy running, you cannot use going for a run as a "Movement" and a "Hobby" on the same day. This gives more intentionality to each point, making it that much more impactful. Ben Kinney has already provided tracking sheets and reference forms on his website, here, so if the 15-Point Plan is something you want to use to help grow yourself in the new year, there is no better way to start!