New Year’s Resolutions: Yay or Nay?

At about 12:01 A.M. on January 1, people all over the world make resolutions to do something different in the New Year. It might be diet or fitness oriented; work related; family involved; or a personal goal. At about 12:01 A.M. on January 31, most people who have made resolutions have consciously or unconsciously abandoned them.

The tradition of making New Year’s Resolutions began in ancient Rome. At first, the idea was to resolve to be a more moral person. As time went on, the practice included both religious and pagan overtones. In the 18^th century, Puritans encouraged children to reflect on the past year and consider what new habits to employ in the New Year.

Jonathan Edwards, a New England Puritan and American theologian, began the custom of writing a list of resolutions. He took his time and compiled about 70 resolutions over the course of two years and reviewed them weekly.

Our current tradition of making one or two resolutions on New Year’s Eve is much more manageable than Jonathan Edwards’ technique, but also more hollow. While Edwards was vowing “Resolved, in narrations never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity, “ we are promising ourselves to lose that ten pounds. You know the ones. The same ten pounds we promised to lose last year.

Does anyone take these resolutions seriously anymore? It seems as though so many people trumpet their new determination for success in something that it is overwhelming and astounding. And then, after the fireworks stop and the champagne is gone, the promise is forgotten.

I know people who resolve to read more books. These are usually book lovers who don’t need to read more, but use this convenient excuse. I know people who resolve to get fit and join a gym. They generally join the gym, hoping the fitness will come along without actually having to go and do anything there. These are the kinds of people whose resolutions benefit them in some way. If they fail, they only fail themselves.

What if we take the resolution process one step further? What if we resolve to do something for someone else? And not a vague, “I’ll volunteer for something,” statement. What if we pledge to be kinder to our wives and girlfriends? We can quantify it by doing one, unexpected kindness per week, such as bringing them flowers or offering a compliment. Easy enough, yet usually ignored.

Resolve to stop stealing post-it notes and pens from work. Vow to actually read your children’s homework. Take your wife for a romantic dinner once a month. Volunteer to raise money for a good cause. Make the pledge and stick to it.

Let’s do someone else some good with our New Year’s resolutions this year. I have ten pounds of stolen post-it notes that I should lose, don’t you have a good reason stashed somewhere to put up for grabs? Oh, and just because we make one resolution that benefits others, it does not mean we can’t promise to buy a new high-end addition to our wardrobes every month…