New Year Resolutions
It’s that time again when we make resolutions for the new year. The tradition of making New Year's resolutions has a long history that dates back thousands of years. Historians say the first record of people celebrating a new year was the ancient Babylonians. Unlike today’s New Year celebration, the Babylonians had a 12-day festival marking the start of their spring planting season, and they would make promises to their gods, such as paying their debts and returning borrowed items. The Romans adopted the Babylonian tradition of making resolutions, which they unified in their New Year celebrations associated with Janus, a two-faced god who looked backward and forward. This encouraged Romans to reflect on the past year and make promises for the future.
In the Middle Ages, Christians integrated the tradition of making resolutions into their religious practices. They made promises to God on New Year's Day to improve their behavior and live more virtuous lives. Since then, the practice of making New Year's resolutions has evolved to include a wider range of personal goals, such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or learning a new skill. While the origins of New Year’s resolutions are somewhat murky, the idea of using the start of a new year as a time for reflection and setting new goals has thrived for centuries and is still a popular tradition around the world. While there is a long history of people making resolutions, some research estimates that as many as 80% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions by February, with only 8% keeping them the entire year. That kind of track record can be discouraging, but there is a better way.
Our resolutions are, in reality, goals for changing something in our lives, usually some kind of behavior, and it's important to remember that change doesn't just happen overnight. So rather than setting ourselves up for failure and committing ourselves to some overly broad resolution in 2025, let’s make some smaller targeted goals and follow the SMART goals format (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). For example, making a resolution to lose weight isn’t a well-defined resolution/goal. It may be more effective to create a smaller goal that’s clear and concise with smaller, actionable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Instead of resolving to lose weight, you can create a goal such as losing 10 pounds by June, and you will do this by eating a defined number of fewer calories per day that includes defined targets for carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Set realistic deadlines for yourself and track your progress along the way.
Whatever your goal/resolution is for 2025, celebrate your achievements, no matter how small! Be patient and kind to yourself, remembering that change takes time and effort. There will be setbacks, but don't give up. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. Setbacks are NOT failures. You must create real commitment and desire to change any behavior. Plan, implement that plan, and then work to maintain that plan. Remember, if you relapse to the old behavior of your resolution/goal, don't give up. Carefully examine what caused you to stall or trip and seek ways to overcome that issue before you try again. Don't try to change numerous things all at once, and don't give up if you don't accomplish your resolution/goal the first time you try! Serious behavioral changes are always difficult, but with good planning, they are achievable.
