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Today is:
National Resolution Planning Day
National Bacon Day

Quotes of the Day:
“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” — Thomas Jefferson

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot

“May all your troubles last as long as your resolutions.” — Joey Adams

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” — Bill Vaughan

Music of the Day:

Covid Christmas - Festive Medley for 2020 parody of Carol of the Bells, Jingle Bells, Frosty & more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX6_mRlxvVc

On This Day In History:
1460 Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield (Northern England), Duke of York killed and his forces soundly defeated by forces for King Henry VI
1922 Creation of the USSR formally proclaimed in Moscow from the Bolshoi Theatre, Soviet Union organized as a federation of RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Belorussian SSR and Transcaucasian SSR
1924 Astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces existence of other galactic systems at meeting of the American Astronomical Society
1992 Washington defenseman Al Iafrate becomes first player in NHL history to have his shot officially break 100 miles per hour; records 101.4 mph during the Capitals Superskills competition
1993 Vatican recognizes Israel
2018 Patrick Mahomes becomes only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs' 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson

National Resolution Planning Day

National Resolution Planning Day is on December 30 and we are getting a headstart on setting goals for next year! Did you know that one in three people fail their New Year’s resolutions in the first month? And only 10% of people are successful at keeping their resolutions throughout the year? While there are many reasons for this, it is necessary that you set- and commit to your resolutions before the new year actually begins for a better chance at success. But how did the start of a new year become the de facto ‘fresh start’?

HISTORY OF NATIONAL RESOLUTION PLANNING DAY
It is better to start thinking of your resolutions ahead of time rather than wait for January 1 to come around, as by then it is probably already too late to decide on them. If you plan your resolutions on December 30 then you’ll be good to go when the New Year arrives.

The ancient tradition of making resolutions for the new year started at the Babylonian festival of Akitu over 4,000 years ago. Spanning 12 days, the ‘rebirth of the natural world’ would be celebrated by the Babylonians. A new king would be crowned, crops would be planted, and promises would be made to the gods. They believed that if these promises or resolutions were kept and fulfilled, the gods would be happy instead of vengeful.

In 153 B.C., to honor the god Janus, January 1 was declared as the start of the new year by the Roman Senate. Janus was an entity with two faces who had the ability to look backward and forward in time — this symbolized the end of one year and the beginning of another. But it wasn’t until 100 years later, in 46 B.C., that the concept of the new year being on January 1 was made official and effective by Julius Caesar. Just like the Babylonians, the Romans would pledge promises to their god Janus about their behavior for the coming year.

During the Middle Ages, the ‘Peacock Vow’ would be renewed at the end of each year. Essentially, these were resolutions that knights committed to in order to uphold the code of knighthood. Knights would place their hands on a cooked peacock and renew their oaths to protecting honor and chivalry.

The phrase ‘new year resolution’ appeared for the first time in a Boston newspaper in 1813, and from there onwards, modern resolutions became a thing.

NATIONAL RESOLUTION PLANNING DAY TIMELINE
3000 B.C.
Wepet Renpet
Ancient Egyptians celebrate ‘Wepet Renpet’, which means ‘Opening of the Year’.

46 B.C.
Julian Calendar
Julius Caesar invents a new calendar and declares January 1 as the first day of the new year.

1671
‘I Resolve Not To…’
Scottish writer Anne Halkett writes down pledges in her diary and titles them ‘Resolutions’.

1813
First Time in Print
The first-ever recorded use of the term ‘new year resolution’ is published in a Boston newspaper.

NATIONAL RESOLUTION PLANNING DAY FAQS
What are the top five New Year's resolutions?
In a survey of 2,000 people, the top five resolutions each New Year are:

Save Money or Spend Less
Learn Something New
Quit Smoking
Read More
Change Jobs

How do you start the new year on a positive note?
Resolutions are the best way to start a new year positively, but you can even start small by just using a new planner or journal and decluttering your closet.

Where did New Year's come from?
New Year’s celebrations started sometime 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. Following the vernal equinox, the first sighting of the new moon would mark the beginning of a new year.

NATIONAL RESOLUTION PLANNING DAY ACTIVITIES
Reflect on the past year
Before you start making your resolutions for the New Year, it is essential that you reflect on the past year and take inventory of what you need to do more of to accomplish your goals in the next year and what you need to leave behind that won’t support this.

Decide your New Year’s resolutions
‘Save money.’ ‘Eat healthier.’ ‘Enjoy life to the fullest.’ Set whatever resolutions you like. They can be anything you want, these are YOUR goals. We recommend asking yourself what change you can make in your life next year that will bring you significant happiness.

Pick your resolution team
Some resolutions require you to have a support team that will have your back! National Today’s CEO Ben Kaplan suggests in his webinar that you find three people for your resolution team — an inspiration buddy, an accountability buddy, and a celebration buddy.

TOP 5 REASONS WHY PEOPLE FAIL AT KEEPING RESOLUTIONS
Not enough commitment
People fail at keeping a resolution that is not really a commitment but more of a contemplation.

Not enough time
Being unable to prioritize a resolution enough to make time for it is another prime reason for failing.

Experiencing a setback
A minor setback often completely derails a person from keeping their resolution.

Slower progress than expected
People get discouraged from pursuing or staying consistent with their resolutions when they don’t see instant results.

Not enough support
Because resolutions are so personal, people often fail because of the lack of a support system to keep them motivated to stay committed.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL RESOLUTION PLANNING DAY
All we have is now
There’s no better time than now to make all those lifestyle changes that have been pending or that we’ve kept delaying! Let’s get to it!

It feels exhilarating
The end of the year brings with it anticipation and excitement for the year ahead. We feel all pumped up by this pre-new-year motivational wave and are ready to tackle some goals!

You’re already in reflection mode and can pick the right resolutions
We are also in reflection mode about the past year, so it is easier to filter what we want and don’t want, and can set better resolutions that are attainable.

https://nationaltoday.com/national-resolution-planning-day/

Coronavirus updates: Stimulus money on the way; Colorado confirms first new virus strain in US; UK approves Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/12/30/covid-news-stimulus-checks-california-extends-stay-home-order/4079772001/

What's in the stimulus package for small businesses, PPP loans and cultural grants
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2020/12/30/whats-stimulus-package-small-businesses/4068154001/

How scammers siphoned $36B in fraudulent unemployment payments from US
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/investigations/2020/12/30/unemployment-fraud-how-international-scammers-took-36-b-us/3960263001/

Beautiful Christmas commercial that will bring tears to your eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMuhj_aO3QE

God tries to create 'Earth'. But he can't get a break from the kids. | Tales From the Multiverse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFTYbzEA6g4

Half-Asleep Chris: I Took a Royal PAW-trait of my Cat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk5AaZVVwrE

NewTexas wrote:

Howdy Fort verden! We found it the other day, but can't find it now. We would like the card of our Lt. Gov. Studly Penguins. We cannot believe we have never gotten it before.

Studly Penguins’ Season 1 Card gifted to The Big Tex Happy Taco Stands of NewTexas for 0.50. Enjoy your prize Buddy. :)

Yip Man wrote:

Can I please have a Trecdom2 Season 1 card from Elven king thranduil. Thanks in advance.

Trecdom2's Season 1 Card gifted to The Famous Wing Chun Grandmaster of Yip Man for 0.10. Enjoy your prize Buddy. :)