New Years Resolutions….Whose Idea was that?
Ahh, it’s that dreaded time of year again…(and I’m not talking about the task of putting all the holiday paraphernalia back in the box)…when we may feel societal pressure to make personal resolutions for the New Year. We must confess that we are not typically very good at making resolutions, much less keeping them!
We can probably lay the blame for this common, worldwide practice squarely at the feet of the ancient Babylonians who are accused of starting the practice of making New Year’s Resolutions over 4000 years ago. Then the Romans picked up on the idea and the rest is history, as they say! In ancient times, as in the present, the New Year (whenever it happened to fall for a particular culture) was seen as a time to make a fresh start and, curiously enough, to return all borrowed farm equipment (no joke).
Many of us have made New Year’s Resolutions, only to find ourselves breaking them within, if not weeks, days even. Change is hard for humans and resolutions require significant change—in habit, lifestyle, outlook. As many as 75% of us ultimately fail at keeping our resolutions (StatisticBrain). Nevertheless, we continue the ages-old tradition. Perhaps this year can be different for you… hope springs eternal…and, truthfully, hope in the possibilities for a new year help us to keep moving into the future.
Following are some tips you may find encouraging for keeping your resolutions in 2017 (Laurie Dove, How Stuff Works):
- Set a specific goal
- The goal should be challenging, but manageable
- Monitor your progress at regular intervals
- Have an accountability partner
We would love to hear about the Resolutions you have made for this coming year. Please share with us and we will post them in our newsletter next month.
Happy New Year!!
Cindy & Kandy