A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. – Author UnknownItís Jan. 7, 2012. Do you know what happened to your New Yearís resolutions? Resolutions made by half the population have already gone by the wayside, and a fourth of the population will completely forget their resolutions in another week. Statistics also show that only about a quarter of people stick with resolutions for more than a week or two. Most people get caught up in the New Year’s spirit, then lose momentum after they return to the daily grind post-holidays.Making New Yearís resolutions goes back many centuries to as early as 2000 B.C. when the Babylonian New Year began with the first new moon after the first day of spring in March. The time of the year signaled the beginning of the planting season and a good time to start the new year. A typical resolution at the time was to return borrowed farm equipment from neighbors.By 153 B.C., Jan. 1 was declared the official New Year by the Romans; previously, the date had been decided on the whim of the reigning emperor. January was selected because the month was named after Janus, the mythical god of beginnings and guardian of entrances. Janus was said to have two faces ñ one in the front and one in the back ñ so he could see the past and look forward to the future. Even after 153 B.C. the calendar would change somewhat, until Julius Caesar finally established the Julian Calendar and declared Jan. 1 the official start of the year beginning in 46 B.C.Most resolutions involve doing something positive to improve lives. Others involve deleting something to make life better, i.e.. smoking. Those who indulge in resolutions usually make more than one:
- Over 45 percent of people make resolutions that relate to self-improvement, such as getting fit, quitting smoking, cutting down on stress and furthering their education.
- Thirty-eight percent want to lose weight.
- Almost equally, 34 percent make resolutions related to finances, i.e. paying off debts and/or saving money.
- Improving relationships has a fairly strong showing of 31 percent.
