Be Specific: Instead of vague goals like “get fit”, opt for specific targets like “go to the gym three times a week” or “run a 5k by June”. Specific goals are easier to measure and achieve.

Start Small: Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. For instance, if your resolution is to read more, start by reading a few pages each day rather than aiming to finish a book a week right away.

Create a Plan: Outline the steps you’ll take to reach your goals. A plan acts as a roadmap, guiding you through the process and helping you stay on track.

Track Your Progress: Regularly check in on your progress. Use a journal, an app, or a calendar to record your successes and setbacks.

Stay Flexible: Life is unpredictable, and your circumstances can change. Be ready to adjust your goals and methods as needed.

Find a Support System: Share your goals with friends or family members who can offer support and accountability. Consider joining a group or community with similar objectives.

Reward Yourself: Celebrate small victories along the way. Rewards can boost your motivation and make the journey more enjoyable.

Remember Your “Why”: Keep in mind the reasons behind your resolutions. A strong ‘why’ can keep you motivated through challenging times.

Remember, the key to successful New Year’s resolutions is consistency and perseverance. Don’t be too hard on yourself; the journey towards your goals is just as important as the destination.

Any type of dried pea can be used for the dish, but black-eyed peas are the most traditional.  And you certainly want to maintain tradition when dealing with fortune and prosperity. 

We Southerners added collard greens and cornbread to the dish shortly after the tradition caught on.  Why, you may ask?  Simple, because Southerners are prone to add collards and cornbread to just about anything. 

And the name?  Well, there is much debate as to whether the name came from an old, hobbled man called Hoppin’ John who sold peas and rice at the local market, to the idea that it was children hopping around the kitchen table in eager anticipation of the dish (personally, I like the ladder the best).

Additionally, in some parts, a coin would be slipped into the dish, and whoever found it would have good fortune in the new year.  Of course, some might think that finding a dirty old coin in your food is far from good luck; I think I would fall into that way of thinking. 

Finally, leftover hoppin' John is called “Skippin’ Jenny”.  Only us Southerners would name their food dishes, much less their leftovers. 

So here is to a blessed New Year to you and your kin.  I pray that you will have a wonderful new year filled with love, happiness, and several helpings of Hoppin’ John.  And I don’t want to hear about any Skippin’ Jenny either. 

After all, that might make you worry, and we all know whose job that is. 

The S&P 500 reversed its 2022 losses, and then some, closing the year near a record high.

A choir of optimistic investor sentiment closed 2023 on a high note, as expectations of “steep cuts to interest rates” may be at odds with the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) actual sheet music. Considering the tumult of the year as sentiment focused on economic and inflation data, this discordance isn’t all that surprising and could signal volatility to come, but in the meantime, the market environment looks a lot brighter at the tail end of 2023 than it did at the close of a dreary 2022.