It’s a new year, and once again, we set out to make New Year’s resolutions. All the things that we didn’t do last year and swear we are going to do this year. People make New Year's resolutions to set goals and intentions for the upcoming year. Making new goals at the start of the year is a tradition. So is breaking them. Gyms, health apps, and the produce department in grocery stores nationwide are all thriving in January. They are mostly empty, abandoned, and back to normal levels by February.
Making New Year's
resolutions dates back to ancient Babylonian times when people made promises to
the gods at the start of each year. This tradition was later adopted by the
ancient Romans, who made promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of
January is named. I wonder if they had better luck sticking to their
resolutions since they were making them to Gods. A promise to a god seems like a better motivation
than a champagne-fueled speech with friends.
The success rate of New Year's resolutions is
notoriously low. According to a study, only about 20% of people who make New
Year's resolutions actually stick to them for the long term. However, this
doesn't mean that making resolutions is a pointless exercise. Setting goals and
intentions can help create positive changes in our lives, even if we don't
always achieve them perfectly. The key is to be realistic, specific, and
committed to making small, sustainable changes over time.
The start of a new year serves as a fresh start, a
time to reflect on the past year, and an opportunity to make improvements for
the future. But why only New Year’s?
Every season is a new start. So is
the first of the month, a week, or even a new day. Why commit to a whole year? Why not just try
it for a month, a week, or maybe a season?
Not everything has to be long-term.
Check out the 30 day free trial.
If it works, great; if not, find something new. At least you tried, and
now you know.
It might be the year thing that is the problem. We say we are going to do something for a
year. Then we forget, life gets in the
way, or it’s just not for us. Or we
really want to run 3 times a week but get busy and don’t for 2 weeks. The whole year is ruined; we stop trying
altogether.
What if we made ourselves a reset button? Running 3 times a week didn’t fit into our
lives at the moment. Now we know
that. So, hit the reset button. Now, the
goal is 6 times a month. Still
running. Still better than before. Still accomplishing something. Still get to celebrate
the win.
On a personal note, I do not run. Running will never be a New Year’s Resolution
of mine. I might try yoga. Trying to post a weekly blog didn’t work well
either. Reset Button. Posting once a month is perfect. Last year's resolution to stop blaming the
farts on the dog was a huge failure. I'm
not going to hit the reset button on that one.
It's just too much fun.
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