As we slide into 2025, none of us know what the new year will hold. There will be changes, but perhaps the most important ones will come from within us.
Founding father Benjamin Franklin gave us this bit of wisdom: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
Way before Franklin, the great philosopher Plato told his followers “The beginning is the most important part of the work.” Today, we have celebrity Oprah Winfrey who said,” Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
The new year will bring us many challenges, and resolving to change ourselves to meet them is often difficult. Making a New Year’s resolution is easy: keeping them? Not so much.
So, when did all this introspection and goal setting start? The Babylonians were likely to be the first, with celebrations dating back 4,000 years. Their festival, called Akitu, was 12 days long and marked the start of their spring planting season. During this time, they made promises to their gods to repay debts or return borrowed items. All this with the hope that keeping their word would bring them divine favor and good crops.
Much later, the Romans, led by Julius Caesar, switched to a new calendar honoring Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings, making the new year start on the first day of January. Roman citizens offered sacrifices to Janus and resolved to conduct themselves better in the coming year. They must have been surprised when their empire fell. Perhaps Janus was on vacation.
Once the world moved into the early Middle Ages f/k/a, the Dark Ages, the Roman Empire was about to crumble, and the area was controlled by groups such as the Visigoths and the Huns. About this time, Christianity was spreading, and monasteries were built, offering learning and culture to the flock. Christians were encouraged to associate New Year’s resolutions with spiritual reflection and repentance.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, popularized “Covenant Renewal Services” in the 18th century. These were held on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day as an opportunity for church members to reaffirm their faith and commitments.
Now mainly a secular celebration, resolutions emphasize personal goals of self-improvement, health, career, and relationships.
New Year’s resolutions are an important tradition in that they can promote self-reflection and growth, and identify areas for improvement, making it an ideal time for making commitments to change.
The most common New Year’s resolutions I was able to find are to exercise more, eat healthier foods, lose weight, quit smoking and vaping, abstain from alcohol, read more, spend less, learn a new skill, get more organized, spend more time with family and focus on mental health.
My highly researched survey among my friends and family for their resolutions echoed many of these, with losing weight, getting organized, and focusing on mental health at the top of the list.
Almost all of those I queried felt they were overweight. Many said they needed more order in their lives, and a surprising number claimed they needed to work on becoming a better person. One young woman said she was going to learn Korean; another was going to limit her computer screen time to one hour a day. Several expressed a desire to be less demanding of themselves and a few hoped to seek out old friends.
I doubt if the Visigoths or Atilla the Hun would have listed any of these resolutions, as losing weight, reducing computer time, or learning a new language might not have crossed their minds. And I doubt if less plundering would have been selected either.
Unfortunately, the failure rate for resolutions is high. Studies indicate that about 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by Valentine’s Day. And 20 to 80 percent of those with initial success fail over time to make them permanent.
Unrealistic goals, lack of planning, and an insufficient support system can derail any well-meaning attempt to change.
Starting small and turning resolutions into daily habits makes success possible. Sharing your goals with someone or attending a support group can also be helpful in maintaining momentum. If you prefer to keep your resolution to yourself, journaling your progress is a good way to support your efforts.
Above all, if your resolve wavers, go back and set some new goals. Start again and give yourself credit for making the attempt. Many won’t – but remind yourself that you can. Remember, “We have a whole year to get it right.”
I found a poem by an anonymous author that puts “rhyme and reason” together and it might be worth keeping it close by if your resolve begins to waver.
“The Promise of the Year”
A new year dawns, the slate is clean,
A world reborn in hope serene.
We scribble dreams on pages white,
Resolutions framed in fresh delight.
“I’ll rise at dawn and greet the day,
I’ll find the time to work and play.
I’ll eat my greens, I’ll drink more water,
I’ll call my mom, I’ll love like I oughta.”
The list grows long, the goals take flight,
Each penned with fervor, bold and bright.
But as the weeks slip gently by,
Some dreams may fade, some plans run dry.
Yet still, each year we make our vow,
To try again, start here and now.
For resolutions aren’t just tasks to do—
They’re whispers of the best in you.
So, dream anew, with heart sincere,
And honor the promise of the year.
You can do this.
Best wishes for a healthy, happy New Year!
