Are New Year’s resolutions all they are cracked up to be?

It’s January, it is very cold and dark, and I am very motivated to stay under the bedcovers until spring. I want to exercise more, eat better, and have improved habits, but in January? That’s a lot of pressure for one month. Poor old January, the month that has to follow the holidays and land before Valentine’s Day. Who thought of resolutions, anyway?

It seems that four thousand years ago, the Babylonians thought this month of the year was a great time for renewal and reflection, but they celebrated this ritual during the spring equinox, before the planting started.

In the article, “The ancient origins of New Year’s resolutions and how the tradition has changed,” CNN’s Kristen Rogers, says that the Romans “tried to enter the new year with a positive mindset” as recorded Ovid’s work, “Fasti” and gave gifts of figs and honey. January was actually named for the Roman god, Janus, who looked forward and backward and was also the guardian of the gates.

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist denomination, offered prayer and worship services to begin the year. The Puritans thought that the new year was a time of considering change in life.

In the article in the Almanac.com website, it states in “How Did the Tradition of New Year’s Resolutions Start?” a Boston newspaper from 1813 featured the first recorded use of the phrase “New Year resolution.” It was the first known use of the term, and it put a humorous point on the idea of resolutions. The article states:

“And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behavior, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.”

Do habits change, or do we? To embrace change, the need must be felt, and our minds and hearts have to shift to know that we have control over our circumstances, not punishment. The change need not be so painful; it should be a more positive option. Instead of resenting exercise, we realize that we will feel so much better. Instead of choking on a carrot stick, we discover that there are tasty, healthy alternatives for our palate. If last year was chocked full of toxic friends and family, find new places and people. If you want less stress, declutter your calendar and redefine your priorities. Instead of complaining about a societal problem, start small ways to make big changes.

 And guess what? These changes don’t have to begin January 1. They begin when you decide you are ready. #change#resolution #newyear #control