Take a look at our January newsletter!
January 2021
I was a pretty competitive kid growing up. Whether it was sports or academics, I wanted myself or my team to be the best. As I became more involved in sports and my studies, I found there was one tactic that kept me productive toward my pursuit of being the best: goal-setting. Goal-setting is a common idea for January. Many people make resolutions each year, promising that this year will be better than last, but did you know that 80% of resolutions fail? I have a feeling many of us give up by February, but I don’t think anyone is immune to this failure. I don’t believe we should just give up because we fail. In fact, our obstacles should be what fuel us to continue, not what makes us quit! I had the perfect lesson on this very idea just last year. I wanted to add more high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts into my regular exercise routine in 2020. I figured that if I could attend two HIIT classes each week at Orange Theory, a local gym where I trained, then I could turn this goal into a habit and hit the bench mark of 104 classes a year that I set for myself. I was going strong in January and February, and then March hit. The world shut down, gyms closed, and my goal fell to the wayside. I fell short because these circumstances were beyond my control. I did fail at incorporating more HIIT classes into my exercise routine, but I could have done more. I could have found online classes or adjusted to a different regimen. My problem was that I wasn’t fully committed to this goal, and in my defense, how could I be? I had to pivot my priorities from my workout routine to my business, family, and safety. There were bigger roadblocks to face at that time. But that doesn’t mean I have given up on it. I know it's a goal — or a version of a larger goal I have to improve my health and well-being — that I can accomplish. There will always be a reason for me not to do this. On a recent podcast I was listening to, Grant Cardone, an entrepreneur and business expert, was talking about this very idea. He explained that the reasons not to do something will be infinite, but if you continue to fall back on those excuses, you will never make progress. I know we all have the capacity to achieve our goals, whatever obstacles come our way. My best pieces of advice for achieving your goals involve three things. First, make your goals attainable. Don’t take on too much at once! Instead, focus Don’t Give Up! HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
on the small changes you can make now, like walking each day or making healthier breakfasts, and build from there.
Next, I would encourage you to not give up. This is easier said than done, but remember the important message from Grant Cardone: There will always be a reason not to do something. And finally, don’t be so hard on yourself. We all mess up or make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we are failures. I messed up in 2020 and couldn’t achieve my HIIT goal, but I did achieve other goals I set! We improved our communication between the firm and our clients through this very newsletter, we built on our camaraderie as a team — during a pandemic, no less — and I read and learned more. I achieved all of those things, even if I couldn’t complete my HIIT goal. This year, I have big goals for what I want to accomplish. I would love to see our firm continue to grow and improve our internal processes, and I want to learn more about metrics and analytics so I can properly discern information about this firm. Those goals may look different by the end of 2021, but I know, regardless of what happens, we won’t waste this year because of the goals I set.
In spite of last year, I know you can achieve great things in 2021. If we can help in any way, let us know. Good luck and happy New Year!
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Is the iPod Dead?
HOW AMERICA’S FAVORITE MP3 PLAYER FELL OUT OF FAVOR — AND FOUND A NEW AUDIENCE
Media outlets have been declaring the iPod "over" for years. In 2017, a USA Today article blared, "Say goodbye to the iPod era,” and a 2018 Reddit thread asked, "Why are iPods still a thing?" But, despite that lack of consumer confidence, Apple continues to sell brand-new Apple iPod Touches on its website for $199 and up, and it just updated them in 2019 — why?
because the pairing benefits both parents and Apple. There is a plethora of pluses for parents:
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iPods have music and games to keep kids busy.
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Kids can stay in touch with their families using FaceTime and iMessage on an iPod, but they can’t call or text (as there’s no service plan).
• A $199 iPod isn’t as big of a loss as its more expensive counterpart, the iPhone, if your toddler drops it in the toilet.
For Apple, selling iPods brings in additional revenue, but there’s an even bigger perk. As Patel puts it, giving a kid an iPod “brings them into the Apple ecosystem, thus making them more likely to buy an iPhone when they are ready for an upgrade.” With a net worth of more than $2 trillion, Apple can afford to play the long game. If you’re interested in buying an iPod for your child but you’re not sold on the $199 price tag, we can’t blame you. Luckily, there are plenty of secondhand and refurbished iPods floating around the internet at deeply discounted prices. BackMarket.com sells refurbished Nanos, Classics, and Touches with a 12-month warranty for as low as $40. Whether you’re shopping for your kids or just want to kick it old school, that’s a great place to start. 3 Divorce Myths That Just Aren’t True
As it turns out, the iPod is now a tool almost exclusively for kids. When the first iPod MP3 player was released in 2001, adults went nuts for it, but these days, we can listen to music on our versatile smartphones, which have supplanted the iPod for most people. Young children, however, don’t necessarily have the smartphone option — and many parents don’t want them to. An iPod has become a gateway device: It’s the perfect way to give a kid the independence of listening to music on the go without exposing them to everything a smartphone has to offer. According to a Medium post by Yash Patel, the Apple iPod Touch has stuck around to serve this new audience Busted! Every January, we celebrate New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but there’s also a little-known holiday that can spark some big discussions. Opposite Day rolls around every Jan. 25, and this year, we decided to celebrate this quirky day by busting some of the biggest myths surrounding divorce. If you believed these, here’s your reminder that the opposite is true!
just because they cheated on you. The Courts analyze whether or not there is an economically advantaged and disadvantaged spouse and if there is an ability to pay alimony and a need for alimony and then consider fault of the parties among several other factors. Additionally, child support is calculated based on the Tennessee child support guidelines, which utilize different variables, primarily the gross monthly income of mother and father and the number of days each parent spends with the minor children, to determine a monthly child support obligation. The bad behavior of a spouse, such as infidelity, is not considered for purposes of calculating a child support obligation.
child has provided to the courts. Other factors include the income of each parent, the impact of a child’s education, the location of the home, and a parent’s mental state.
Myth: Divorce is bad for kids.
Fact: Divorce won’t be easy for your children, but choosing to divorce could actually be one of the best decisions you make as a parent. Children learn best by example. If you and your spouse choose to separate and co-parent cordially, your child is learning healthier traits than they would in the home of their unhappily married parents. Your child may be stressed by a divorce, but it can still be a healthy choice for them. There are many other myths surrounding divorce, and if you ever have any questions about your separation, custody, or any other facet of divorce, call our team today. You can also visit DouglassRunger.com for more details on our other practice areas.
Myth: How your spouse treated you indicates what you are owed.
Fact: While it isn’t uncommon for marriages to end as a result of infidelity, that’s not indicative of what you’re owed in divorce. Alimony, child support, and the separation of assets have very refined legal specifications in terms of who gets what. For example, alimony is granted on the basis that one spouse cannot maintain a standard of living as a result of the split from their ex. Fault in the marriage — i.e. who cheated, who was abusive, etc. — is just one factor in this determination. Simply put: You can’t take your spouse to the proverbial cleaners
Myth: Your child gets to decide who they live with.
Fact: Your child’s opinion about who they would like to live with is not the ultimate deciding factor. The courts will decide which home is the safest and best for the child based on a multitude of factors, and one of those may include information your
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Korean Beef Rice Bowls
This sweet and spicy rice bowl comes together in just 30 minutes and serves four. INGREDIENTS
Reading for Healing
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce • 2 tsp light brown sugar • 1 tsp sesame oil • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes • 1 lb lean ground beef • 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 BOOKS TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN UNDERSTAND YOUR SPLIT Divorce can be a complex topic to discuss with your children, but these conversations are vital for healthy emotional recovery. Thankfully, these books make the conversation easier. Geared toward children, tweens, and teens, you can find these titles on Amazon or at most major bookstores.
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated • 2 tbsp gochujang sauce, or more if desired • 3 cups cooked brown rice • 1 small cucumber, sliced • 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, plus more for topping • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
‘Divorce Is the Worst’ by Anastasia Higginbotham
DIRECTIONS
Known for her witty, authentic take on some of the biggest issues that can face children, Anastasia Higginbotham has added “Divorce Is the Worst” to her “Ordinary Terrible Things” series. Higginbotham lays it all out in the open for young kids in an easy-to-understand story that doesn’t shy away from the bad feelings that come with divorce. “Divorce Is the Worst” is designed to give kids the coping mechanisms they need to navigate a time in their lives that may feel, frankly, a little sucky. The book is also often used by professionals in family law, like therapists and mediators.
1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, brown sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. 2. Spray a deep, nonstick skillet with cooking oil and place over high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. 3. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the meat and cook for 1 minute. 4. Pour sauce over the beef, then cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. 5. Divide rice evenly into four serving bowls. Top each with scant 2/3 cup beef, cucumber slices, sesame seeds, scallions, and gochujang, to taste.
‘Divorce Is Not the End of the World: Zoe and Evan’s Coping Guide for Kids’ by the Sterns
Written by kids, for kids, this book offers an upbeat support system for kids trying to understand if there are any positives that can come out of their parents’ separation. The book was written by Zoe and Evan Stern, who experienced their parents’ divorce when they were younger. It offers a guide to moving between two homes, coping with feelings, and how to celebrate the big events as a divorced family. Alternate copies even include “grown-up” updates from Zoe and Evan!
Inspired by SkinnyTaste.com
INSPIRATION “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” –Josiyah Martin
‘Mend: A Story of Divorce’ by Sophia Recca
Geared toward teens trying to manage their parents’ divorce, “Mend: A Story of Divorce” is a graphic novel that chronicles the real-life story of the author, Sophia, and the personal fears and struggles she coped with after her parents split. Sophia learns how to adapt and even teaches her parents a thing or two about how they should respond. “Mend” offers teens a relatable look at the emotional struggles they may face in a unique, digestible format.
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Inside This Issue
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You Can Succeed at Your Resolutions!
Is the iPod Dead? We Cracked 3 Divorce Myths!
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These 3 Books Will Help Your Children Through Divorce Korean Beef Rice Bowls
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How College Bowl Games Determine National Champs
Battle of the Bowls Roses, Chariots, and a College Football National Champion Admitting defeat, organizers went back to their athletic competitions of yore until 1916, when Washington State took on Brown College in the second Tournament East-West game. In 1923, this competition was dubbed the Rose Bowl. The name “bowl” comes from the shape of the Rose Bowl Stadium, and other collegiate leagues across the nation have adopted their own versions. The widely accepted original bowl games include the Rose Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, and the Sun Bowl, and each is played on New Year's Day. Over time, the number of bowl games grew, which resulted in teams with as few as five wins claiming titles in smaller bowl games. Experts began to ponder how to determine the “true” national champion when there were so many championship games. In the 2014–2015 season, the NCAA sought to answer that question. The championship semifinal games between the top four teams are rotated each year between pairs of the six top bowl games. The winners of the two semifinal bowls then face off in a college football championship. The other bowl games are still played and unofficially determine runners-up. While bowl games may take on a different flair this season, the time-honored tradition of friendly competition and bragging rights is still just as powerful today as it was 130 years ago in Pasadena.
December and January are prime months for college football greatness. Each year, the top teams in the nation duke it out in more than 40 bowl games during this two-month span. In its 130-year history, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) bowl games have changed a lot, but the competition is just as fierce now as ever. The origin of bowl games has nothing to do with football. On Jan. 1, 1890, the Valley Hunt Club in Pasadena, California, adorned their horses and buggies with flowers and paraded around the city before squaring off in athletic competitions that included polo, greased pig catching, and chariot races. By 1902, the organizers for the Tournament of Roses saw potential in America’s fast-growing collegiate football leagues and scheduled the much-anticipated Tournament East-West game between the nation’s top two teams on Jan. 1.
That game was a dud though. Michigan University toppled Stanford University 49-0, and Stanford forfeited the game with just eight minutes left on the clock.
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