2026 Happy New Year!
New Year’s Resolutions inspire fresh starts, focus on positive changes, challenge oneself to take new chances, and hopefully aid us in building a better forward-facing future for ourselves and our loved ones. Oprah Winfrey exclaims, “Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right!” Author C.S Lewis expounds, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Musician Brad Paisley’s words of encouragement include, “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” Making New Year’s Resolutions prompts us to overcome the past, embrace new opportunities, and empowers us to create a bold, new story for our lives. “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new,” reveals Dan Millman. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end,” states Seneca. “It is never too late to be what you might have been,” philosophizes George Eliot. “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written,” declares Melody Beattie.
Actions. Goals. Implementing an elemental plan to start the new year with attainable objectives promoting growth. “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are,” said J.P. Morgan. Michael Josephson said, “Approach the new year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.” www.itasallyouboo.com is a resource center for a “S.M.A.R.T” printable goals workbook, as well as a website designed to help you attain your goals through “building a life that you love!” via a free guide entitled “How to Slay Your Goals!” Whether your goals are personal or professional, “you are more likely to achieve them if you make them specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound: if you make them ‘S.M.A.R.T.’” The S.M.A.R.T acronym stands for “the 5 steps in developing goals: i.e;
—Specific: Define your goal. Is it focused? Will someone else be involved? Where will it take place? Provide as many details as possible.
—Measurable: How much change is needed to achieve your goal? How do you define success? Try to quantify your goal.
—Attainable: What are the action steps needed to attain the goal? What resources or tools are needed? Is this goal realistic?
—Relevant: Is this goal important to you? Are you committed to achieving it? Are you willing to dedicate time and energy to reach this goal? Does this goal have meaning to you?
—Time-Bound: When does your goal start and end? What is your time frame for achieving your goal? Is this considered a short, intermediate, or long-term goal?”
www.canr.msu.edu Michigan State University developed the S.M.A.R.T. System in order to assist you in successfully achieving your goals. They also suggest the following tips to help keep you on track for reaching your goals:
–Put your goals in writing, this will increase your commitment.
–Post your goal where you will see it often, this will serve as a steady reminder.
–Share your goals with friends and family, they will provide support and encouragement towards reaching your goal.
–Celebrate small successes, this will help keep you motivated by recognizing your achievements.
–Evaluate your progress. Periodically, take a moment to assess your goals and check to see if you are on target.
Dreams. Aspirations. Intention and Purpose. “Raison d’etre: the most important reason or purpose for someone or something’s existence.” Of French origin and literally translated as “reason for being,” someone’s raison d’etre is the most important thing to them. The Oxford English Dictionary describes the term raison d’etre as a noun, with its first noted publicized usage in the 1860’s in a letter by John Stuart Mill. John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher, economist, politician, and civil servant. He was one of the most influential thinkers in the history of social and political theory. As we enter into the 2026 new year, what are your aims, designs, or objectives? More importantly, what is your raison d’etre, what is your purpose?
As Author, Poet, Lyricist, Travel Writer and Indie Publisher Alex Morritt asks, “New Year- a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours.”
www.barbecuebros.com have entered the New Year’s Resolutions Chat! Declaring, “I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions in my personal life, but BBQ related ones? Well, those are the types of resolutions I can get on board with!” As you probably already have guessed, and correctly surmised, the #1 BBQ Resolution is:
- To visit the BBQ Joints on your “MUST TRY LIST!” Whether your “BBQ Joints to Visit Bucket List” includes National BBQ Hall of Fame Inductees, BBQ Restaurants of famed Pit Masters, or a new local BBQ Hot-Spot: The Barbecue Bros emphatically pronounce, proclaim, assert, and attest: MAKE THAT BBQ SAFARI TRIP!
- Attend an Out-of-State BBQ Festival: “Everyone knows that BBQ Festivals can be an efficient way of tasting a bunch of new and different BBQ without having to make the trips to each individual restaurant, especially if you have Pit Masters that are traveling across the country for the event! I suggest the following events: The Carolina BBQ Festival, The Jon G’s Jubilee, The Memphis in May, The Holy Smokes in North Charleston, The Windy City Smokeout in Chicago, and obviously, The Jack Daniel’s World Championship in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Or, one of the MANY Texas BBQ Festivals; The Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Grand Prairie or Houston, The Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival in Tyler, or Aaron Franklin’s Hot Luck Festival in Austin.”
- Challenge yourself to smoke, cook, and BBQ a dish “that intimidates you, or that you’ve always wanted to master, and then, ACTUALLY DO IT! No matter if you have to Google ‘How to keep a whole hog warm for 80+ guests because you finished the cook 6 hours before the start of the party’ or if you decide to hang backyard lighting solo from a teetering ladder during the middle of the BBQ Nightshift Cook or if you have to make a 3 AM run to Wal-Mart for more charcoal to help kick-start the fire…JUST DO IT! LOL!” expresses The Barbecue Bros!
“As the New Year’s Eve Countdown begins, the ball drops and that midnight kiss that you hoped for becomes a reality, you pause for a moment of reflection on the past 365 days of your life. Whether you’re beyond thrilled to see some difficult moments well behind you or are feeling sentimental recalling the good times had, such ruminations on the year gone by have you waxing poetic,” states www.elledecor.com “Enter this new year with gratitude for this chance to create your dreams,” trumpets Alvina Celeste. “Past and Present I know well; each is a friend and sometimes an enemy to me. But it is the quiet, beckoning Future, an absolute stranger, with whom I have fallen madly in love,” Richelle E. Goodrich proclaims.
May your 2026 be filled with GOOD HEALTH, GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD VIBES and GOOD FOOD. Cheers to a year ahead of beautiful surprises! Here’s to 12 new chapters and 365 chances to make them count! “2026: A whole year of blank pages. Time to write something worth remembering.” HAPPY NEW YEAR – from www.ribbqnews.com and www.wiseguysbbq.com May every day of the coming year bring you JOY along with New Adventures, New Opportunities, New Beginnings, and New BBQ Recipes!
—“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
