Evolution of the Resolution

Greetings!  We got through the holidays and are now officially in the second week of the New Year!  Along with making holiday bills, you've probably made a few resolutions.  Of course, there are the standard ones: lose weight, exercise, stop smoking, save more, spend less, get a new hobby, etc.  Then there are the not-so-standard ones: skydive, swim with sharks, volcano surf, or eat fugu (personally, I think I'd take my chance with the sharks than with the fugu).

How did we ever get started with the business of resolutions and why is it so hard to keep the resolutions we make?

We can blame the ancient Babylonians for getting everyone on the resolution bandwagon.  They made promises when crops were planted (around mid-March) to remain loyal to the king, pay debts, and return anything they borrowed.  Later on, Christians thought about their past mistakes and made resolutions to be better in the coming year.  Nowadays, we make resolutions to improve ourselves, but it's so darn hard to keep them.

If we make resolutions that are difficult to accomplish or achieve by ourselves, we probably won't keep them.  When you make a resolution, make one that's reasonable.  If you want to knit a sweater but have never knitted before, start off with something simpler, like a scarf.  Having moral support from others also helps.  For instance, if you plan to diet or exercise, do it with another person or a group of people.

Happy New Year and good luck with those resolutions!  And should you have trouble keeping them, don't beat yourself over the head--tomorrow's a new day and technically the start of another new year.

Wishing you good resolution vibes from the perch.