Some historians say the tradition of making promises to change for the better at the beginning of a new year can be traced back more than 4,000 years.
The Babylonians, whose year started in March, would promise to pay off debts and return borrowed items during a festival celebrating the changing season.
Trying to change unhealthy habits or search for enrichment are noble goals, and the changing calendar offers a defined start date, when the slate can be wiped clean and the path ahead is fresh.
Adopting healthy eating and exercise habits are common New Year’s resolutions, as are vows to eliminate some of life’s stresses and, with a nod to the Babylonians, shedding some debt and saving money.
All are excellent goals, but often we don’t make progress as quickly as we expected on our resolutions and end up falling back into the bad habits we were trying to address.
Progress takes time, and realizing that those extra pounds didn’t pile on overnight, and those credit card bills are the results of months of spending, may help put the tasks ahead of us into perspective.
We want to hear from you.
What is your New Year’s resolution? How do you plan to keep it? It’s also become a trend to forego resolutions and learn to be happy with how we are and what we have, which sounds itself like a vow of sorts. If you’re not making resolutions, why not? How do you motivate your self improvement?
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