Has anyone else wondered where New Year's resolutions first started? Why are they a thing and do they actually work? I explore this topic a bit today.
The History- It's Extensive
Oddly enough the ancient Babylonians are thought to have started this tradition over 4,000 years ago. Although their "New Year's" was in March when the crops where planted, they would hold recorded celebrations. "Akitu" was the name of the massive festival they would have and during it they would crown a new king or re-establish their loyalty for the reigning one. Another large part of this festival was making promises to their gods to pay their debts, returning any objects borrowed, or promising to make up these debts. If the Babylonians kept to their word, their (pagan) gods would give them favor for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor—and that's not a place you wanted to be. These events can be considered the foreground of what we now call New Year's Resolutions.
Soon, in Ancient Rome, the reform-minded emperor Julius Caesar had an idea of his own. Switching the calendar to establish January 1st as the beginning of the new year, circa 46 B.C. The month was named Janus after the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches. This means that January held great significance for the Romans because they believed that Janus symbolically looked back upon the previous year and ahead into the future. This is when Romans would offer sacrifices to the deity and make promises of good behavior for the approaching year.
The first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one's past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the upcoming year for Christians early on. English clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service in 1740, which is commonly held on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. These types of services are still popular within the evangelical Protestant churches today but this tradition has found its way into households everywhere.
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Does It Even Has Benefits? - Kinda.
Okay, so we've established that the reason resolutions ever became a thing was to appease some sort of God that those people believed in. So why is it still a thing, especially for people who aren't religious? And does it actually have benefits?
Although I don't have an answer for why it's still a thing. I do have an answer about its benefits- and maybe it will help us answer my other question too.
The first benefit of setting a resolution- being able to reflect on the past year. By thinking about what you want for yourself in the the future, you're forcing yourself to look back and think about what there is to improve.
The second benefit is a four-parter. New Year's Resolutions can motivate us- or can keep us motivated. They help us take action and take back control of our life- even if we aren't really. Acknowledging that we are the one's in charge of our lives and that we have the power to change it is a great fuel for our own success. When we experience this sense of achievement we want to keep going and hit the next mark. Shortly said, they help our self-esteem.
The Consensus
So how do you set up a realistic one? Try to align your resolution with a goal you have and create a plan based off that. Set deadline's to hit each of those achievements. But what can help you keep it? Sprinkle reminders in your phone, planner, work calendar, wherever you will see it most. Track that progress and hold yourself accountable. Also- don't forget to reward yourself when you do hit those small goals!
To be clear, I'm not saying that resolutions work for everyone. In fact, research shows that only 46% of people keep resolutions for at least six months, and out of that only 8% keep them for the entire year. Although that's a small percentage, people who choose to make a New Year’s resolution are 10 times as likely to keep them over those who pursue improvement in another way. Plus writing down to manifest things actually works, check out this article here to learn more on that- super interesting stuff.
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