The custom of New Year resolutions originated with early Babylonians who took the beginning of a New Year as a resolve to return borrowed farm equipments and buy new ones for themselves. When the year starts, we are refreshed after long holidays and vacations and being energetic and rejuvenated, we feel ready to glide over all the stresses and work loads of the coming year easily and make big promises to ourselves. We plan goals that we will try to achieve during the year whether it is to lose weight or quit smoking.
New Year Resolutions are nothing but short-term annual goals that help us to improve and break out of bad habits. However, most people forget about it the very next day and get on with their jobs and lives as usual. Mark Twain had very aptly commented, 'Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever.' Here are some tips that you can keep in mind while making your list of New Year resolutions, so that you actually keep them:
New Year resolutions are our annual goals towards success. Here are tips on how to maintain resolutions and use the resolution journal.
New Year Resolution
- Evaluate the price in terms of sacrifice, risk, time, efforts, money, perseverance and willpower that you will need to fulfill your New Year resolution and be ready to pay it.
- Give yourself a prize or a gift whenever you complete a New Year Resolution so that you are encouraged to fulfill others too.
- If you have not completed your last year's resolution, include it again in this year’s list for and make sure that you keep it this time. Also examine the points that made you fail and try to overcome them.
- Keep only one or few resolutions that you can actually follow. Too many resolutions will discourage you from approaching the list. So choose whether you want to learn dancing this year or learn paragliding.
- Place reminders that keep popping up weekly or every third day throughout the year so that you do not chuck out your New year Resolution list once the euphoria celebration wears off. These reminders can be kept in your daily diary, set online or be from your close friends. You can also keep resolution journals for the purpose that you go through regularly.
- Remember New Year Resolutions do not include such things, as I will not call my ex-boyfriend for three days. The resolutions here are meant for the entire year.
- Set only realistic goals. Some things may actually seem stylish and trendy but may not be your cup of tea. Opt them out already. While you want to go for rock climbing like all your friends, you may not feel like it actually. Thus, cross out such resolutions beforehand.
- Tell someone close about your resolutions so he or she can shake you up a little whenever you are losing your track.