Happy New Year, dear readers! The past two weeks have been a blur, what with holiday gatherings and meal prep and “Christmukkah” tree dismantling. Thankfully, our newest fluffy family member, Nadia, did not climb or cause damage to the tree, and she only briefly took to biting at the blue and white lights. And now, we are into a new year. A clean slate!

My one resolution this year is to not set goals. Or, at least, not in the traditional sense. In my decades of experience with New Year’s resolutions, I’ve come to recognize a pattern— a tendency to overshoot what is reasonably achievable, thereby setting myself up for near-certain failure and disappointment (with myself, always). Whether it’s diet and wellness, personal growth or my never-shrinking/always-growing project list, I simply cannot keep pace with my aspirations. Apparently, I am not alone in this phenomenon.

Researchers say that most Americans give up on their New Year’s resolutions by the middle of January, and only 9% succeed in keeping them. This is either poor planning or out-of-reach expectations, I suppose. Rather than stating any particulars that I will set out to accomplish this year, I decided to check the rearview mirror and recognize all that I did accomplish in 2023. What I saw there surprised and empowered me. And I dove deep to discover the common link among those achievements; in all of them, I was outside my comfort zone. 

What an odd realization for someone whose blog literally has “comfort” in its name.

Even the act of starting my blog was a huge leap of faith for me, though. There were many “what ifs” on the tip of my tongue back then: What if I can’t figure out how to run the website? What if nobody cares about my food or my stories? Would I even have enough time to commit to regular posting and engagement with readers? Won’t I run out of recipes eventually? Today I cannot imagine not having this special place of connection, creativity and curiosity.

Taking that first step out of my comfort zone is what unlocks the “what ifs” and transforms them into victories, large and small. Turns out, I did a lot of it in 2023, without really thinking about it. 

Here’s a short list of what I achieved last year in personal, professional and culinary categories:

• Reconnected with a dear high school friend, despite some fears that maybe she wouldn’t respond or have time to get back in touch
• Took a chance on a solo vacation to Vermont, during a historic flooding event that made travel terrifying
• Met two of my blog buddies in person— one on that trip to Vermont and the other on a family vacation to California
• Spent four days in the baking lab at King Arthur Baking School, where I met wonderful people and learned new skills and techniques
• Embraced big changes at my job, including a promotion that has stretched me more than I imagined (in a good way)
• Adopted a kitten— okay, this may seem easy, but it is a multi-year commitment to the care and well-being of a small, utterly dependent creature, and this relationship always ends with tears at the gate of the Rainbow Bridge (it’s a big deal and I’m all in)
• Volunteered for a two-year term on our HOA’s board of directors, just in time for a very challenging situation of having squatters in one of the homes
• Participated in a butcher class, where I learned technique for breaking down a whole hog
• Tackled several of my culinary bucket list items, including porchetta, blue moon ice cream, homemade matzo, reverse-seared steak, babka and s’mores cupcakes (to name a few)

Yes, all of these 2023 highlights were the result of the same thing— stepping out of my comfort zone. Resolutions don’t stick, but if I stay curious and commit myself to taking chances and putting the “what ifs” out to pasture, 2024 may turn out to be my best year ever!

I hope it’s yours, too. 🤗