Whether you created goals, resolutions or intentions for 2024 I’m willing to bet that meeting them and following through on them require communication skills. Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum and your talent and want-to are part of the equation, so are your communication skills.

So with that in mind use small talk to build the skills you need for bigger conversations. Be intentional with how you approach small talk and what you want to get out of interactions because all of it can help you reach your goals/resolutions/intentions this year.

These sports conversation starters can get the ball rolling this week.

Records were made to be broken and  every streak comes to an end.

Last week was the first time in more than decade I didn’t post a version of conversation starters. It was somewhat of a last minute decision and an opportunity I’d been looking for.

I pride myself on consistency, but I wanted a little bit of a break and I wanted to alleviate the pressure of keeping a streak alive.

Here’s something to consider as we start the new year focused on new habits, goal-setting and creating new opportunities - the streaks you stop are just as important as the ones you start.

And here are few sports topics you can consider in small talk this week.

You’ve got enough going on this week. No need to create more work for yourself, and that includes in your conversations. A few conversation starters will make small talk easier and more productive. If you’re stuck coming up with a few, these sports topics can help.

Every week when you glance at these sports conversation starters the nuts and bolts of the game or the story probably stand out. That’s on purpose. I want you to have enough information to join a conversation and build your knowledge base.

You could also look for the business connections and ways to springboard into larger conversations. This week I would point to the Heisman voting and Heisman award winner as a way to talk about the criteria you use to judge success or maybe the note about the MLS Champions as a way to start a conversation about the talent you need to get to the next level.

Sports is more than stats and scores – if you want it to be. And you can use these sports conversation starters however you want this week.

It’s so awkward but I’ve got to do it.

That was part of a text from a friend contemplating her next round of networking emails. I totally understand both the anxiety and the awkwardness. My suggestion was to shift the focus of the conversation and use an alternate conversation starter to initiate the interaction.

Here’s why I offered that approach: Preparing ahead of time for the objective you want to achieve helps make the conversation more productive and less uncomfortable. 

To that end, these sports conversation starters might come in handy this week.

When it comes to small talk if you yourself don’t want to answer the question (or can’t answer the question) you’re asking, you should probably change your approach.

If you don’t want to talk about your Thanksgiving weekend you might not want to ask someone else about theirs, because there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to flip the conversation back to you thereby forcing you to have a conversation you didn’t want to have in the first place.

If it’s difficult for you to answer a question about your favorite Thanksgiving or holiday tradition it’s best to rethink the question you would ask.

If you’re looking for a broader conversation topic this week, start with sports. Even a yes/no question like “Did you watch any games this weekend?” can lead you to a number of different conversations.

Here are a few sports headlines making news this week that you can use to spark small talk.

Conversations on Thanksgiving usually take care of themselves, but just in case you need a few additional topics these sports notes are just the trick.

When you’ve had your fill of football and turkey consider a cooking show binge-fest of I Cook, You Measure presented by Safeway. I’ll drop a new episode Friday!

The interactions that stood out most to me last week weren’t long and some weren’t even in person, but they all included an element of unexpected kindness. It was a short text from a friend I hadn’t talked to in a while, a stranger saying "Hi" at the grocery store. Someone going above and beyond to say something kind.

The most impactful interactions don’t have to be lengthy conversations. You can make an impact through your sports conversations by reaching out to a fan whose team won a big game and text “That was a great game this week.” It’s a simple way recognize someone and their interests. If you want something more specific here are a few topics making headlines – and conversations – this week.

We’ve changed things up a bit! This is more than a holiday costume we’re going to give this new look a try for a bit.

Halloween costumes/parties will dominate conversations for a couple days, but make sure you’ve got something new to talk about like any of these sports topics making news this week.

It’s always a great week to talk sports in my book, but this is an especially good one. The NBA tips off this week which means each of the Big 4 sports - football, basketball, baseball and hockey - are all in action for regular season games and Friday’s slate of sports includes all of them. Think of it as National Talk Sporty day. 

Also in the mix, MLS playoffs also start this week. I know I don’t need to sell you on the idea of using sports to spark conversations or join in on small talk, but maybe knowing just how many fans are engaged and in tune with sports this week gives you a little more confidence in those conversations.

And with that here are a few sports topics you can use this week.