Tonight is the night! In the western world, millions of people will engage in ceremonies commencing the end of this year and the beginning of the next. New Year’s resolutions will be made and fulfilled…..or will they?
HISTORY – The beginnings of the new year’s resolution dates back 4,000 years to Babylonian times. It was associated with people promising to pay debts to their gods and return things “borrowed.” By Ancient Roman times the promises evolved into a commitment toward “good conduct” going forward. Still focused on favor of the gods, Julius Caesar sought to gain the affection of the god, Janus, who focused on looking back on activities of the previous year, and forward to the year ahead. Fast forward to the Christians and not much changed. Early Christians through the protestant Reformation looked back on mistakes of the past and made resolutions through prayer and gratitude not to repeat those mistakes going forward.
Fun Fact – Janus, is where we get the name for the month “January.” The beginning of the calendar year was in March until Julius Caesar decreed it begin in January. Today the new year is still celebrated at different times of the year based on cultures, customs, and religious practice.
SUCCESS RATE – We’ve committed a good portion of human history to this practice, so I would expect a high success rate. Right?
Statistics are hard to come by our ancestors. They did not measure the rate of success in any statistical way we do today. Back then you either followed the resolution and survived, or the gods and empire would destroy your crops, ravage your village, or kill your family. Today, we measure through polling. The latest information I found was that 45% of Americans still make resolutions and only 8% report following through on them. Clearly, the tradition is losing steam.
So WHY have we continued a practice for 4,000 years that provides little benefit? Because, there is!
New Year’s resolutions are an excellent tool to help us grow in self-awareness! This is one of the 4 major components of measuring and growing our emotional intelligence. Making good decisions is important to our ability to build relationships, be successful in communities and achieve goals. Deciding on what resolutions to make is the easy part. It’s the follow-thru that tends to fizzle out.. usually by January 21st.
A Heart for Leadership 
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