Are YOU Making New Year Resolutions?

I always make the same mistake. Every New Year’s, I get a lot of big ideas about the things I’ll do, and write them all down in a neat list of bullet-points. My lists are long and exhaustive, veering from the specific. They never work. I’m great at making resolutions, but terrible at staying resolute.

I’ve tried paring down the list, making baby steps, making every goal concrete, but nothing seems to help. New Year’s always feels like a day of bluster before a year of self-flagellation for failing to live up to my own expectations.

The most common reason for participants failing their New Years' Resolutions was setting themselves unrealistic goals (35%), while 33% didn't keep track of their progress and a further 23% forgot about it. About one in 10 respondents claimed they made too many resolutions.

A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.

Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.

This tradition has many other religious parallels. During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People can act similarly during the Christian liturgical season of Lent, although the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility. In fact, the practice of New Year's resolutions came, in part, from the Lenten sacrifices. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.

What's your New Year Resolution?

What are new year resolutions? Do people keep their New year resolutions? Why do we need New year resolutions anyway? New year resolution are known to be a tradition in which people make a promise or a decision to embark on an act of self improvement beginning in the new year. Why do people make new year resolutions? Are they important? Are they of any benefit or should we just ignore new year resolutions?

Q: What are new year resolutions?

A: When you asked people, what is their new year resolutions, they say something like, to stop smoking, some say to stop drinking? Most people talk about kicking some bad habit or the other, so in a way, New year resolutions is a mechanism for self improvement in the new year.

Q: Great, but most people do not keep their new year resolutions. Why bother about them?

A: People do not keep their New year resolutions because they think the practice is just for fun. They do not back their new year resolutions with will power. If they don't back it up with will power, then they cannot keep the promise because there is no energy behind it. They said it for the fun of it. New year resolutions are not meant to be for fun or causally. They are supposed to be serious decisions aimed at making positive improvements in our lives. People who are trapped with bad habits should use New year resolutions as an instrument for positive change in their lives.

Q: What are the hindrances to the success of New year resolutions?

A: if a goat keeps going around town with dogs, the dog will eat faeces! This is a powerful adage, It means show me your friends and i will show you who you are. If your new year resolution is to stop smoking. You cannot continue hanging out with chained smokers unless they are committed to the same objective. If your new year resolutions is to make a million naira a month, you cannot be going around town with friends who just want to get by financially.  The benefits of New year resolutions is in staying true to them when we make them.

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