Resolutions Aren’t Just for January; Court Rejects Executive’s Request to Avoid Recognizing Seniority Bonus for Public Officials; Migrant Flow Through the Darién Jungle Decreases: Only 2,132 Crossings in 2025; Reform to the CSS: These Are the Key Changes of the Second Block.

Friday, January 31, 2025. Resolutions Aren’t Just for January: Why We Need a Monthly Reality Check (And a Little Snake-Like Wisdom) Ah, New Year’s resolutions. That magical list we create while sipping champagne, convinced that this is the year we’ll suddenly transform into an ultra-productive, salad-eating, gym-loving, emotionally balanced powerhouse. Fast forward a few weeks, and well… life happens. That salad turned into fries, the gym became a distant memory, and somehow you still have that extra 30 pounds (or was it 40? Who’s counting?). But guess what? We’re not giving up. Not on our goals, not on our ambitions, and definitely not on the person we’re determined to become. And what better excuse for a goal check-in than the Chinese New Year? This year, it’s the Year of the Serpent—and if there’s one thing we can learn from our slithery little friend, it’s this: Adapt. Shed what’s not working. Strike when the time is right. Step 1: Look Back at Your Grand Plans At the start of the year, I set out to:🐍 Grow my businesses by 20% (because, you know, money is fun).🐍 Finish my Executive MBA (so I can officially have an excuse to be a know-it-all).🐍 Close out lingering favors and promises (because I’d like to stop playing the role of everyone’s unpaid consultant).🐍 Lose 30 pounds (so my jeans stop gasping for air).🐍 Tackle my health issues (nothing major, just classic “old-guy crap”).🐍 Coach my kids better for their future (so they don’t end up on a reality TV show about bad financial decisions).🐍 Go fishing more often (because work-life balance, right?).🐍 Advance real estate projects (so I can retire somewhere nice before AI takes over everything).🐍 Fix finance-related issues (because even PIs have to count their pennies).🐍 Take better control of my emotions (aka “stop letting idiots ruin my day”).🐍 Say “yes” less often and love more often (because boundaries are a thing).🐍 Finalize VA-related matters (bureaucracy: the gift that keeps on giving).🐍 Stop hoarding and finally have a garage sale (because my storage room looks like a crime scene from “Hoarders: Extreme Edition”). Whew. That’s a lot. And if you made a similar Superhero Resolution List™, now’s the perfect time to ask: 🤔 Am I actually making progress?🤔 Did I bite off more than I can chew?🤔 Do I need to adjust expectations so I don’t spiral into a motivational nosedive? Step 2: Be a Smart Snake—Adjust, Don’t Abandon Here’s the deal: Goals shouldn’t be set in stone. If something isn’t working, we don’t throw in the towel—we tweak the approach. For example:🔹 Weight loss: Maybe “drop 30 pounds ASAP” is too ambitious (and also, life is cruel, because cookies exist). Instead, let’s aim for 5-10 pounds per month and make it sustainable. 🔹 Business growth: If I’m only at 5% instead of 20%, maybe it’s time to pivot strategies, not expectations. 🔹 Emotional control: Let’s be honest, this isn’t a “check it off the list” kind of goal. It’s a lifelong process. (Also, some people just make it really, really hard…) 🔹 Saying “yes” less often: This one is deceptively hard. But hey, No is a complete sentence. The key is to adapt like a serpent—shed what isn’t working and move forward. Step 3: Make the Chinese New Year (and Every Month) Your Check-In Point Here’s a wild idea: What if we actually reviewed our goals every month instead of just in January? (Gasp!) Instead of waiting until next year to wonder where the hell time went, we do a mini check-in at the end of every month: ✅ Did I follow through on any of my goals?✅ Am I still on track, or do I need to course-correct?✅ Were my original goals even realistic? (or was I just drunk on New Year’s optimism?)✅ Do I need to add new goals or adjust my approach? If I could suggest one single resolution for everyone, it would be this: Commit to a monthly review. Because life moves fast—and if you don’t check in, you’ll blink, and it’ll be October, and you’ll be wondering why your resolutions still look the same as they did in January. Final Thought: The Snake Knows Best The Year of the Serpent is about wisdom, adaptation, and knowing when to strike. It’s also about not getting stuck in a rut. So don’t be that guy (or gal) who abandons their goals just because the first attempt didn’t go as planned. Be like the snake: shed what doesn’t work, move forward, and strike when the time is right. And for the love of all things good, if you’re still hoarding junk—schedule that garage sale. 🐍🔥 Happy (Chinese) New Year! Now go check in on those resolutions. TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Court Rejects Executive’s Request to Avoid Recognizing Seniority Bonus for Public Officials After the Executive Branch filed an objection of unconstitutionality against Law No. 726 of 2021, which creates the Negotiable Certificate for the payment of the Seniority Bonus for public servants, the Plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice rejected the objection. On March 7, 2023, Justice José Ayú Prado acted as the reporting judge on this unconstitutionality objection, admitting the Executive’s legal request. However, he made it clear that the arguments presented lacked precision. “The Executive Branch, as the holder of the coercive legislation for the unconstitutionality objection, is urged to submit a written document providing the Constitutional Court with the legal grounds supporting the alleged unconstitutionality of the bill, specifically in relation to each article of the Political Constitution that is claimed to be violated. This would allow for a clearer and more concise presentation of the constitutional issue and a more precise discussion of the matter,” stated the ruling issued by Ayú Prado at the time. The magistrates unanimously ruled that Bill No. 726 of 2021 is not unconstitutional as a whole, contrary to what the administration of former President Laurentino Cortizo sought. This is reflected in Edict No. 123, dated January 29, 2025. A law is considered unconstitutional when it is deemed contrary to the Constitution, preventing it from becoming a law of the Republic. On April 27, 2022, the National Assembly approved Bill No. 726 in its third debate, establishing the Negotiable Certificate for the payment of the Seniority Bonus for public servants. This legal framework was supplemented by Law 241 of October 13, 2021, which amended Law 23 of 2017 and Law 9 of 1994, formally recognizing the payment of the seniority bonus for public servants.