The History of New Year’s Resolution:

Around 4,000 years ago the ancient Babylonians were the first people to make New Year’s resolutions. They were also the very first people ever recorded to celebrate the new year. However, for the Babylonians, the new year started mid-March when the crops were planted instead of January. They started the new year with a 12-day festival called Akitu, where they made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed, which in a way were their new year resolutions. 

Starting as a religious tradition, New Year’s resolutions today became a mostly secular practice. According to an article by Sarah Pruitt, “For early Christians, the first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future.” Despite it being changed to something far from religion, the aspect of the New Year’s resolution remains the same. 

According to recent research done by the Statistic Brain Research Institute,”While as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals.” Another research shows that 80% of people break their resolutions by the first week of February and only 8% are successful in achieving their goals at all. 

This Year’s Resolution:

While many of us have already established our New Year’s resolutions, and are on our way to accomplishing them, let’s be kinder to ourselves this year. Let’s set up realistic goals. Instead of promising ourselves to  work out everyday for an hour, let’s start with a 15- minute walk or run. Instead of reading more books, let’s start with reading 10 pages a day. 

When starting with smaller steps, the journey doesn’t become easier but becomes more achievable. As it is important we start with ourselves; to take care of our physical and mental health, especially during a time when it seems rest is far from reach, let’s not forget about others. 

Start Small to Reach Big:

Add an act of kindness once a month to your 2022 resolution. This could be donating what’s equivalent to the price of one cup of coffee you purchase every day. Tell a friend about your favorite charity or nonprofit organization. Share an article about the importance of giving to your friends who love reading. 

New Year’s resolutions don’t always have to be major, no one has ever made it to the top without taking difficult steps along the way. This year, be kind to yourself and others. Believe in your ability to achieve your goals, even if there were a few days of giving up, feeling down, or thinking this is impossible. The strongest of us are those who fall and get up again.