Quit making New Year’s Resolutions
By: Sofia Orgaz Guerrero
Tags: New Years Resolutions, Challenge, Tips, Goals, New Year

The only valid New Year’s resolution for 2021!

For years, human beings have been using the proximity of a new year as an excuse to set goals for the upcoming months without the impending pressure of committing to them. We all know what New Year’s resolutions are. We have all been there, done that. However, very few people know anything about when or how this tradition started. Well, according to History, the origin of this tradition dates back to the year 2,000 B.C.

Ancient Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year with a 12-day religious festival known as Akitu. During these festivities, people would make promises to the gods such as paying their debts or returning anything they might have borrowed. If the Babylonians kept their word, the gods blessed them with a good year. But if not, the gods’ wrath fell upon them (something no one at the time wanted). In short, we owe the origin of this tradition to fear. The only difference with today is that now we are not scared of divinities but our conscience. Moreover, while Babylonians believed that New Year’s promises were an unavoidable responsibility, we find it far easier to let all these resolutions fall by the wayside.

Every year, approximately half of the world population makes a (mental) list of resolutions for the next year. Some still do it out of faith, but New Year’s resolutions are mostly considered a secular practice nowadays. Among the most popular “promises” are: losing weight, eating healthier, saving money, or being a better person. Nevertheless, according to U.S. News, by the second week of February, about 80% of the people that made resolutions have already given up on them. (Fun fact: boomers make up the least successful age group with just a 2% success rate). You may be asking yourself, what happened? Where did all those good mid-December intentions go? Well, let me explain it to you.

The main mistake people make with their New Year’s resolutions is to think big, TOO big. Around 35% of the resolution-ers set themselves up for failure by having unrealistic goals. They usually strive for overly ambitious resolutions that are also unsustainable in the long term. On top of that, people tend to be vague with their intentions. They claim they want to lose 15 kg and somehow expect this change to happen on its own and in the blink of an eye. The truth is that changes like leading a healthier lifestyle or improving our finances require a bigger effort than just plain intentions. One needs to follow a series of steps that will (most likely) lead him to success:

Stop procrastinating. The problem with New Year’s resolutions is that people assume they need to wait for the start of a new year to become a better self. Not true. Forget about resolutions and think about what you want to achieve. Then, turn those wishes into manageable goals that will fit into your daily routine. And remember, there is no better time than the present! Be precise. It is not enough to simply say that you want to lose weight or get a new job, for example. Plan your journey! Start with easy, short-term goals that you can keep track of. Challenge yourself. Establish your weight/job goal, a target date, the resources you will need, and so on. Having a specific and measurable objective will help you stay motivated and on track. Don’t be so hard on yourself. One of the most important things along the journey is to be patient. Sometimes we have very clear goals in mind, and we know exactly how to get them. But, if we have learned something in 2020 is that life can be unpredictable. Your circumstances may change, and that is alright. Do not lose focus and adjust your objectives to match your new reality. What matters most is that you are consistent and happy with what you are doing.

In conclusion, 4,000 years haven’t been enough for humans to master the art of making New Year’s resolutions. But nothing good comes out of feeling scared and pressured, so no surprise there. At the end of the day, the best we can do is stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take action. Don’t make New Year’s resolutions just because they momentarily make you feel better about yourself. Throw yourself into actual change! Take things one day at a time and, instead of planning your resolutions for next year, start thinking about your goals for next week. In no time, this new mindset will pay off, and you will gradually start to notice some changes.

Oh, and, in case you are wondering, I have plenty of goals in mind for the following weeks. But my only New Year’s resolution for 2021 is: quit making New Year’s resolutions!

P.S. If you don’t believe me, give this method an honest try and come back to this article in 2022. You’ll be surprised…