Four thousand years ago, around the time the Hammurabi Code was written, ancient Babylonians celebrated the start of the new year when the crops were planted. During the 12-day celebration, the citizens of Babylon reaffirmed their loyalty to their king. They promised the gods they would repay their debts and return borrowed items to their respective owners.
To ensure their promises to the gods, Babylonians were told that they would remain in god’s favor and would receive wealth in the coming year. If not, they would fall on their gods’ bad side.
Like the ancient Babylonians, Americans celebrate the new year with goals and aspirations to improve their lives. But instead of a god punishing us for breaking promises, we wallow in guilt for failing to achieve our goals.
That is the New Year’s resolution in a nutshell: fragile promises meant to be broken, which makes the concept of a resolution pointless.
I never understood why people waited until Jan. 1 to tackle goals that could be started on a random June afternoon. I also don’t understand why I continue to partake in the concept of a New Year’s resolution when I repeatedly break them.
Yes, I did break my New Year’s Resolution, and I feel no remorse.
According to the Baylor College of Medicine, 88% of people who made a resolution failed them in the first two weeks of January. Many people, like me, set unrealistic expectations that naturally become unachievable.
My resolutions for this year were to go to the gym at least four times a week, eat healthier food, cut down on fast food and learn how to manage money better.
Of course, I broke three resolutions by day two of the New Year.
I had the intention of going to the gym, and by that, I mean I bought a membership at 24-Hour Fitness. The idea, however, of waking up early in the morning surrounded by gym bros who I feel are judging this pudgy 5-foot-7 dude who doesn’t even know how to properly lift weights is straight-up discouraging.
In this defeated state, I ask myself, “What’s the point of a resolution?”
Some people create resolutions out of genuine care for themselves. Others do it because they don’t want to feel left out. What many of these people don’t realize is that there are steps to a new habit for it to stick.
Thomas MacCarty, an associate dean at Southern New Hampshire University, said in an article from the SNHU newsroom that some people feel pressured to create a New Year’s Resolution due to external factors. This could come in the form of someone’s mother asking them to start washing their own dishes or their best friend asking them to stop burping in their face. Regardless, people don’t want to feel left out if they don’t partake in these resolutions.
So, if you’re seeking to change, why wait a whole year to start?
A New Year’s resolution can offer a fresh start for people who are looking to start anew. Personally, I see it as an excuse for someone to continue their old ways because they are avoiding change and cementing old habits further into the future.
To change old habits, you’ll need to create new ones that challenge the old ones. This will make it more likely for a resolution to stick. An example would be going for a walk on a Saturday afternoon instead of the usual “bed-rotting” and scrolling through TikTok routine.
Even then, habits take time to be integrated into daily life, and those old habits compete with new ones trying to take their place. Certain behaviors, like lying in bed all day on a Saturday, are much easier than getting up and driving to the gym to start your workout. Think about it: if you aren’t going to change your old ways until the start of the new year, are you going to change at all?
I think it’s courageous of people to draw up goals for themselves, honestly. I believe that there are good intentions behind a New Year’s resolution, but if you’re waiting to change the way you live until the start of a new year, you might as well give yourself a head start on quitting.
If you’re serious about changing your life, start now. Build those new habits, and by the start of next year, you can start making real and achievable resolutions.