New Years Resolutions

A New Year's resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western World but also found in the Eastern World, in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their behaviour at the beginning of a calendar year.

These Resolutions usually only last a couple of weeks though before old ways crop back.

Religious origins

Around 2000 B.C., the Babylonians celebrated the New Year during a 12-day festival called Akitu (starting with the vernal equinox). This was the start of the farming season to plant crops, crown their king, and make promises to return borrowed farm equipment and pay their debts.

The Babylonian New Year was adopted by the ancient Romans, as was the tradition of resolutions. The timing, however, eventually shifted with the Julian calendar in 46 B.C., which declared January 1st as the start of the new year and began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.[5]

At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions. In Methodist Christianity, the liturgy used for the watchnight service for the New Year is the Covenant Renewal Service; in addition to being traditionally held on New Year's Eve, many churches offer the Covenant Renewal Service on both New Year's Eve and on the morning of New Year's Day.

This tradition has many other religious parallels. During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People can act similarly during the Christian liturgical season of Lent, although the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility.

The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.

Participation

The 1671 diary of Anne Halkett includes an entry on January 2 titled "Resolutions", which contained a number of religious pledges taken primarily from bible verses, such as “I will not offend any more.”

By the beginning of the 19th century, the tendency of people to make (and fail to keep) resolutions was commonly known and satirized. Walker’s Hibernian Magazine in 1802 contained an article stating that “the following personages have begun the year with a strong of resolutions, which they all solemnly pledged to keep”, then listing a series of obviously fictitious resolutions (“Statesmen have resolved to have no other object in view than the good of their country…the physicians have determined to follow nature in her operations, and to prescribe no more than is necessary, and to be very moderate in their fees.”)

An early instance of the complete phrase "new year resolution" is found in a January 1st issue of a Boston newspaper from 1813:

And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behaviour, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.

At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Year's resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did. In fact, according to the American Medical Association, approximately 40% to 50% of Americans participated in the New Year's resolution tradition from the 1995 Epcot and 1985 Gallop Polls. A study found 46% of participants who made common New Year's resolutions (e.g. weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking) were likely to succeed, over ten times as among those deciding to make life changes at other times of the year.

Here are a few suggestions;- not that any of us over a certain age takes much notice in New Year Resolutions, we just keep on as before and ' fuck it.'

Spend more time with family: Plan time for dinners, walks, game nights, or excursions.
Volunteer: Give back to the community by mentoring someone or volunteering your talents.
Write down your goals: Put your resolutions on paper in a place you'll see them often, like your fridge or next to your bed.
Break big goals into smaller ones: It's easier to achieve smaller goals than big ones.
Cultivate gratitude daily: Keep a gratitude journal and record three things you're grateful for each day.
Exercise more: According to Drive Research, 53% of people plan to exercise more in 2025.
Eat healthier: According to Drive Research, 51% of people plan to eat healthier in 2025.
Budget: According to Drive Research, 58% of people ages 25 to 44 plan to budget in 2025.
Improve personal relationships: More than half of people plan to improve personal relationships in 2025.
Learn a new hobby: More than half of people plan to learn a new hobby in 2025.

I shall be 70 in 2025 - and my New Years Resolution is to -

ENJOY BEING 70 AND BEYOND....

Live life 'disgracefully'

Live life to the limit and as always, never stop taking chances and doing the best I can... and to never stop asking questions and asking ' why - who - where - when ?'

Here are a few suggestions should you need....

Stop smoking.
Join a gym
Travel more.
Cash in my ISIS Take more time off.
Retire. Get a dog.
Use my campervan more.
Save £20,000 this year.
Have a better sex life in 2025. Fall in love.
Divorce my partner
Learn to dance. Come out of the closet. Learn to cook. Get a cat.
Learn to cope on my own. Learn to like myself.
Visit Hamilton Hall.
Be calmer.
Be more political.
Stop being an asshole. Learn to speak up for myself and others. Donate to charity. Be appreciative of those who do so much for others while I do fuck all.
Be less political. Stand up for myself against the bullies. Be kinder.
Be more outspoken.
Tell friends and family how much you love them.
Be a nice person See the gay scene for what it truly is.
Think of something nice to say about Trump.

I will point out that most people who make New Years Resolutions VERY rarely keep to them longer than a couple of weeks.

GYM MEMBERSHIP goes up in the New Year and tanks out 6 weeks later when people simply stop attending.

There will always be things I would like to improve about myself and my life but then, only I can make those changes and I do them as and when I realise change needs to be applied. Self Development to be a better person is a moment to moment, day to day thing and does not start at a certain time or place but here and now. It is a constant quest that never ends.

Enjoy the New Year and I wish you all the very best that you wish for yourselves - in peace, in harmony and with love.

John Bellamy