The new year is here, and for many people, it is a chance to make improvements in their lives. The popular saying for each new year is “New year, new me!” this leads to many people making New Year’s resolutions, promises to make a change or improvement in their life over the course of the next year.
Unfortunately, while many people make these resolutions every single year, very few keep them. An estimated 80% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by the middle of February. However, this statistic should not be too discouraging. Other studies have found that while resolutions are hard to keep, the people who make them are much more likely to make positive changes in their lives than those who don’t make resolutions.
The History Of New Year’s Resolutions
The tradition of making a resolutions for the new year has been around for a very long time. According to History.com, the tradition can likely be traced all the way back to the ancient Babylonians nearly 4,000 years ago. The Babylonians, who celebrated the new year in mid-March, have the oldest recorded tradition of making promises for the new year.
The Babylonians would make promises to their various gods, such as paying off debts. The idea was that by making and keeping these promises, the person would earn the good favor of the gods.
Ancient Romans would also make promises to be good people to their god Janus at the start of the new year. Janus, who the month of January is named after, was a two headed god who symbolized beginnings and ends. Making promises to him was seen as looking back at one’s past mistakes and pledging to do better in the future.
Early Christians continued on the roman tradition until it became what we know it as today.
Tips For Keeping Resolutions This Year
Making any sort of change can be difficult no matter when it is done. However, that does not stop people from trying to make changes in their lives at the start of a new year. Here are a few tips to help keep a person on the right track of achieving their New Year’s resolution:
- PICK ONE RESOLUTION. Picking just one resolution allows a person to focus their energy on it and makes the idea of resolutions less daunting than picking several.
- BE SPECIFIC AND REALISTIC. A person should chose a specific goal, such as lose 20 pounds rather than just lose weight. This gives the person an actual definitive goal to achieve. The resolution should also be realistic to what the person thinks they can truly achieve.
- START WITH SMALL STEPS. If a person bites off more they can chew right away, they are more likely to quit on their resolution. That is why a person should start with small, gradual changes, and then work their way up to larger changes.
- DON’T REPEAT FAILED RESOLTIONS. When a person chooses the exact same resolution from the year before, they are even less likely to succeed with it the second time around due to some self-doubt that is present from the last time. Instead a person should modify the resolution to make it more achievable.
- DON’T EXPECT IMMEDIATE RESULTS. Making changes is difficult and it takes time. The habits that a person is trying to break likely took years to create. They will take time to break down and establish new ones.
- GET SUPPORT FROM YOUR LOVED ONES. Having friends and family members lend their support can make a world of difference. Their little bits of encouragement can help push a person to continue toward their goal.
- DON’T GIVE UP. There will be stumbles and setbacks along the way. However, a person should not let those moments hold them back. If something isn’t working, then the person can always modify their approach to the problem. Above all else, a person should remind themselves why they chose to make this change in the first place.
Have A Good Rest Of 2019
New Year’s resolutions are not easy things to keep, but they can be achieved with commitment and dedication. If you follow the tips we provided you, then you stand a good chance of achieving your goals this year.