New Year’s resolutions have a history spanning thousands of years. In the Babylonian era, civilizations were the first-ever recorded to celebrate the coming of a new year. During this time, people made promises to the gods to return borrowed objects and pay debts in hopes of starting afresh. This tradition continued into the Roman empire, with Julius Caesar marking January 1st as the start of the new year. With this, the Romans made sacrifices for Janus: the God of beginnings, endings, and doorways. These sacrifices came with the promise of change and good behavior as they moved into the new days ahead.
Today, the New Year is celebrated by partying with friends, lighting fireworks, and watching a ball drop live on TV. Each year on January 1st, people crack open a new planner and prepare for their reset, and this tends to include making resolutions.
These modern-day aspirations often include going to the gym, starting a trendy diet, saving money, or developing vague habits in the name of self improvement. Due to the often nondescript nature of resolutions, many people end up failing to uphold them before the end of January.
Simply stating that you will workout more isn’t enough. Routines need to be created, goals lined out, and rewards for the progress made. Starting the year off doesn’t change mentality, rather there needs to be an effort put in to succeed. Diets tend to be fads made to sell products. Creating an unhealthy relationship with food and nutrients often does more damage than good.
Attempting to develop habits without a passion for the craft creates a dreadful scenario of forced productivity. This feeling immediately removes fondness for the goal, making resolutions a chore, rather than a source of energy.
It becomes competitive, especially with social media creating a space where people can share their resolutions. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram only capture snippets of day to day life. Perfection showcased online is often fabricated for views and likes, but leaves many feeling inadequate about their own progress.
In reality, it's rare for people to stick with their resolutions due to self-pressure. Starting off the year with unrealistic expectations doesn’t allow for mistakes, small goals, or productivity.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Creating habits that are simple, consistent, and rewarding allow for the ability to maintain the motivation. Instead of calling them resolutions, they can simply be goals to work on.
Simple habits can be as basic as making one's bed each morning, drinking 40 ounces of water, or reading one chapter of a book. Starting small allows the opportunity to build up, rather than jumping into a task that cannot be maintained.
Consistency is key with goals, as skipping a single day can lead to quitting. If going to the gym is on the list, it’s important to schedule time specifically for the workout and create a plan that will keep the sessions organized. Maintaining a daily journal is an effective way to decompress and remove stress lingering from work or school, allowing for a space to safely express negative feelings. Having friends or family with similar motivations allows a support system, and ensures that someone is always there to keep you motivated.
New Year’s resolutions have lasted centuries, but they no longer align with how our attention spans and thought processes are evolving. As the world gets louder, quieter goals are key for progress in 2026 and beyond.
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