Editor's Note: As the year came to a close, we once again asked the DTN/Progressive Farmer reporting team to pick out the most significant, most fun or otherwise their favorite, story of 2025. We hope you enjoy our writers' favorites, continuing the series with today's story by DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart.

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Reflecting on all of 2025 and what came and went in the cattle complex throughout the year was a job in and of itself! From high prices never seen or imagined before, to record high risk and volatility -- it was truly a year like never before.

I contemplated deeply about what my favorite piece was going to be, and I thought about sharing one of my Call the Market pieces -- "Steer Carcass Weights Hit New All-Time High of 983 Pounds," (https://www.dtnpf.com/…) -- because that frightening trend is going to be an ongoing conversation cattlemen will need to reckon with.

However, I ultimately chose my most recent Call the Market column, "Some Words of Wisdom on Life and Business at the End of 2025 to Carry Into the New Year," as my favorite piece for the 2025 calendar year.

This is because with carcass weights, cattle prices and all the factors of the market in between those two points, we will inevitably discuss much more in 2026. So, with that, I hope you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, and that they serve you over time, just as they have me.

If you missed the original post, here are the words of wisdom I shared. You can go to the original story to see the complete article. (https://www.dtnpf.com/…).

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Nuggets of Wisdom:

1. I recently read this statement: "Your life is more apt to improve if you stop one bad habit than if you start a good one." I know around this time of year we are pressured to make New Year's resolutions, but whether it be in your personal life or in business, I think this statement rings incredibly true.

2. My grandpa (a rancher in south-central Montana who lived through the 1980s' interest rates while raising four kids and running cows and sheep) once said, "You can't throw good money after bad money and expect it to come out clean in the wash."

3. Even in good markets, you have to know what the hell is going on because playing catch-up is never a place where the best business decisions are made.

4. There's a place for both Dave Ramsey and Robert Kiyosaki in this world. For me, personally, I believe in living my personal life like Dave Ramsey and running my business like Robert Kiyosaki. If you haven't read the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" yet, you need to.

5. Buy assets, don't buy liabilities thinking they're assets. To endure the test of time, we must be keenly aware of our financial position and hyper fixated on profitability so we can enjoy longevity in the business.

6. Work is good for the body, and even better for the mind. 1 Thessalonians 4:10 says this: "But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone."

7. I recently had a friend, who's a dear mentor of mine, tell me a story about selling his calves to their local cattle buyer. After driving down the feedlot bunks, the buyer parked his pickup, looked at him and said, "Do you know what this is?" as he drew a circle on the dusty center console of his pickup. My friend nodded and said, "Yes, that's a circle." And then right next to the circle, the cattle buyer drew an oval, and said, "I do business in a circle, and if the business starts to become an oval, I'm out." The point he was making is this: Do good business and be fair to your partners. Trying to cheat someone out of a deal never serves anyone in the long term.

8. When it comes to ranching, cash isn't king -- cash flow is. If the business doesn't cash flow, the ranch won't go.

9. Price. Price. Price. Records. Records. Records. I hope to God you did something positive with the extra income you earned this last year that will better position your business for the tough years to come and that you didn't just buy more liabilities to keep up with the Joneses.

10. When asked what his definition of paradise would be, Johnny Cash is famously quoted as saying, "This morning, with her, having coffee," referring to his beloved wife, June. If you can't enjoy the little things of life -- the morning sunshine, a good cup of coffee, or the fresh air God gives you -- a vacation to some luxury island, more cows or more land aren't going to solve your problems.

11. Recently, on a Ranching Returns Podcast, Marlene Moore, a rancher from southwest Nebraska who has successfully run and operated an extensive cattle operation since she was in her early 20s, shared a wealth of knowledge. I was particularly fond of what she had to say about fear and greed. Later in the podcast, Moore said, "You know, sometimes you just have to get in there and push a little harder. But fear will really, really wreck you, and of course, greed will too." (Click here to access the episode: https://www.ranchingreturns.com/….)

ShayLe Stewart can be reached at ShayLe.Stewart@dtn.com

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