Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

Despite the fact that I am thrilled (ecstatic! overjoyed! jubilant!) that 2020 is over, my joy is tempered by the fact that it’s January.

January has always been a rough month for me. December has Christmas and February is short and holds the promise of spring, but January is just dark and cold and long. It wasn’t so bad when I was younger — in school, or afterward, when I was working outside the house — but being home with small children amplifies all the worst parts of January: the lack of daylight (so many hours between sunset and bedtime), the requirement for layers of dry winter clothes (how do you all dry the wet snow clothes? Ours are in piles near the heaters, taking up space in the dryer, and presenting tripping hazards in the entryway, and they never fully dry out anyway), and the cabin fever (the yard is covered in slush or ice and/or it’s bitterly cold outside, so we mostly just stay in the house). It’s a struggle, every year. 

This year, we’re facing a January in which they predict “the worst is yet to come,” virus-wise, and as of this writing, the numbers are proving them right. The things I usually do to help alleviate the darkness, like visiting with family and friends and going out for a date night or two out of the house, are being strongly cautioned against. The school basketball games that I always look forward to are currently paused. My kids, who have been so great over the last year about adjusting to the realities of the pandemic, are starting to have a harder time. I’ve really been trying to come up with ways to keep us as mentally healthy as possible for the next four weeks (I’m so hoping February will be better), and thought my ideas might be helpful to you as well.

Having things to look forward to has always been a good strategy for me in hard times, and they don’t have to be big things—just things that are fun or different than the norm, or improve your quality of life. For example:

• Ordering in for dinner 
We tried to do this once a week back in the spring, both as a way of looking forward to something and to support local restaurants. We’re going to get back into it this month — it’s fun for the whole family to look forward to nice food, and great for me and my husband to not have to worry about cooking dinner. 

• Getting out of the house
My kids are in school, so they already have this; for me, putting the baby in the stroller or van and going for a walk or taking a drive can break the day up nicely. On really bad days, only a ride in the van and getting coffee at a drive-through will do (preferably with good songs on the radio that I can sing to as I drive).

• Planning to watch a particular movie or show
This one has lost some impact with the availability of anything you want to watch at any time through streaming services, but if you can have the self-control to hold off on watching a particular thing until Friday night, for example, it might provide a nice light at the end of the tunnel each week. This is great for adults, and my boys also love looking forward to Family Movie Night — the best is when we can find a fun and appropriate movie they haven’t yet seen, and have fun food to go with it (even just popcorn).

• Doing a cleaning- or home improvement project
Taking advantage of being home most of the time by knocking off some things on your to-do list can expend some of that cabin-fever energy (for you and the kids) and prevent the walls from feeling like they’re closing in.

• Focusing on good health 
January’s the perfect month to start eating better and exercising more, both of which can be done at home. Having a “project” like figuring out a better eating plan and implementing it is the kind of thing that distracts me nicely. I was just encouraging my boys to focus on weight lifting and using the pull-up bar to prepare for when sports resume. It’s fun to look forward to reentering society in the spring (fingers crossed!) as a healthier version of yourself.

The next time you hear from me, it’ll be February — I’m so looking forward to it. Have a safe and speedy January!

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 6, and 2. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

As we head into a New Year after facing a year full of uncertainty, stress and unprecedented times in every way, we may feel the pressure to commit to making big changes in our health emotionally, physically and spiritually.

While it is always important to establish a blueprint of goals and specific steps in reaching your goals, it’s equally important to set your goals in a way that guarantees you success and forward momentum.

I am guilty of the all or nothing method in goal setting, especially following almost a year of being out of the normal every-day routine due to pandemic living.

What I have found, through trial and error, to be the most effective and rewarding way to meet long-term goals on the daily basis is what I call the ten-minute method.

For example, often times on my list for the day is to exercise, meditate, organize home and office space and keep up with cleaning. In the all or nothing method we usually set up unrealistic expectations for ourselves causing burnout and failure.

We may commit to an hour-long workout, doing all the laundry at once, spending a day cleaning the house, and adding on some spiritual care at the very end of the day which tends to get forgotten and put off.

The ten-minute method works because it’s short and sweet. I always remind myself: ten minutes is better than 0 minutes. So, what that looks like day-to-day is ten minutes in the morning of organizing my space, (pick up, put laundry in, wipe down a surface, take out the trash). 

I then may decide to do a ten-minute bike ride, walk around the neighborhood or a quick yoga session. Those ten minutes of movement refresh and refocus my energy.

I then may use any time in the car when I am alone to do some meditation. Obviously, I don’t close my eyes, but I use the time and space to just enjoy the silence or do some affirmations and prayer to ground myself for the day.

I have learned that blocking off large chunks of time to get things done, including self-care, ends up getting put off or by the time I show up for the time slot I am drained and exhausted and self-care looks like detachment and exhaustion.

We need to learn how to work smarter, not harder. This means plugging in for each day taking small windows of time to make us feel like we run our day in a proactive, thoughtful way versus reactive, anxious and stressed out.

2020 taught us all so many lessons; perhaps as we begin 2021, we can commit to showing up for each day in the way we need to feel healthy and strong in every area of our lives. That starts with identifying what you need each and every day to feel balanced and energized. That list is different for everyone. You may need some quiet, alone time daily while your family members may need time to connect with loved ones or friends daily. There is no right or wrong when it comes to identifying what you need daily.

Take some time to think about what really matters to you day-to-day and use ten- minute blocks to frame your day in a way that works for you.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing at Fritz, Stanger & Associates. For more information visit www.fritzstanger.com

There is an old curse that reads, “May you live in interesting times.”

I think we can all agree that we are certainly in interesting times. From the pandemic and the economy, to the political climate, 2020 (and so far, 2021) will long be remembered as a consequential year. The question now: where do we go from here?

2020 was a tale of two economies. Small businesses experienced a very different reality last year than large businesses. We all know local business owners who are struggling, or who have gone out of business, altogether. We know service sector workers whose financial lives are in complete collapse. Yet, on the other side, many large national businesses are booming. It’s a travesty, and our hearts go out to those suffering. 

Things will get better.

For investors who stayed invested during 2020, it turned out to be a surprisingly positive year, especially in the technology sector. 

This pandemic would have been untenable without recent technological innovations. Not only has technology allowed us to stay connected to loved ones during shutdowns, it has also allowed more people to work productively from home than ever before. As a result, non-tech companies, their employees and customers, have been direct beneficiaries since these companies have not had to shut down, could retain their employees, and consumers could still gain access to products and services which are essential to modern life. Imagine how much worse things would be if this had struck in the ‘90s!

What do we see for 2021?

For all of the relative insanity we’ve experienced so far this year, there are some reasons to be optimistic about the next twelve months. 

Technological innovations will continue to revolutionize the way we function in our everyday lives, and will do so at an ever-increasing pace. This is because we have all now been conditioned to accept new technologies when we otherwise might have been hesitant. We expect technology, as a sector, to continue to do well. 

Fun fact: The Moderna vaccine had already been designed by January 13, 2020, just two days after the Covid gene sequence had been made public! It will end up saving millions of lives – possibly yours – and we have technology to thank for it. 

As more become vaccinated, and shutdowns end, we expect the greater economy to begin to normalize. It may take well into the second quarter, but it is an eventuality. This, of course, bodes well for the private sector, but will also help the public sector as states and municipalities regain their financial footing. 

Some are worried about what a single-party-controlled Federal government means, so let’s address that. 

Markets typically like gridlock, because it is easier for businesses to plan if they know the rules are not going to change. Normally a sweep by either party would be cause for concern, but this year, markets are reacting positively. This is largely because there is only a technical majority in the Senate, with the Vice President acting as the tie-breaker. This will force compromise, which is ultimately beneficial.

One thing that will almost certainly pass in the next few weeks is additional stimulus and relief for the American public, which markets are applauding as well. Expect another round of direct payments (checks), as well as a delay in initiatives to raise taxes on anyone, rich or poor. In fact, we expect a repeal of the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which would actually, disproportionately, benefit the wealthy. 

It is also very conceivable that Congress extends provisions of the CARES act in 2021, including an elimination of early withdrawal penalties for hardship withdrawals, and another break on required minimum distributions. To that end, if you do not need your required minimum distributions in order to maintain your cash flow, you may want to wait to take them in case Congress eliminates them for 2021, as it did in 2020.

Here’s an interesting idea for any high school seniors graduating this year. Freshman applications and admissions are down more than 20% at some schools, leaving schools in a position to have to compete aggressively for students to fill their rolls. Couple that with the fact that most students don’t have SAT/ACT scores to report, and you may find that the dream school you thought was scholastically unattainable is suddenly an option!

In summary, as the pandemic comes under control and our lives are allowed to regain some semblance of normalcy, we expect the economy to continue to improve. With that, we expect the broader US stock indices to grow by 10-15% in 2021. We also believe that technology will again continue to be a driver of growth.

As always our forecast contains forward-looking statements which may be revised at any time. Stay focused on fundamentals in the coming year, and work closely with your financial advisor to help ensure your investments remain appropriate for your needs and market conditions. 

Stephen Kyne, CFP is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial, LLC in Saratoga Springs, and Rhinebeck. Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., SEC registered investment advisors. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret Grant are separate entities.