The History of New Years Resolutions-
" The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.
With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.
The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.
The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.
In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.
Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.
The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.
Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun. In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days. "
Once again we are taken aback by the fact it hasn't always been this way. It was changed for religious reasons and the date has no significance. Could this be why we don't keep our resolutions? Let's look at the word RESOLUTION-
əˈlu
noun
2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course action, method, procedure, etc.
4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.
5. the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.
To me it seems as if resolution and ultimatum seem awfully similar...
Top 10 Resolutions-
1. Spend more time with family and friends
2. Fit in Fitness
3. Tame the Bulge
4. Quit smoking
5. Enjoy life more
6. Quit drinking
7. Get out of debt
8. Learn Something New
9. Help Others
10. Get Organized
How to plan out your failure of reaching your new years resolutions...
1. Have you met my family? Do you REALLY want to spend more time with them? Just kidding- we live hundreds of miles away. It is not always feasible to do this. Thankfully Facebook was invented and we can stay in touch in hopefully an unobtrusive way.
2. Fit in Fitness: Yes those who exercise regularly will have less stress and lead healthier more active lives. But do you know that Pizza Hut delivers? McDonalds is on the way home? I have to get up earlier to fit fitness into an already packed day? Some things like 20 more minutes of sleep get the best of me.
3. Tame the Bulge: Do we realize how fat we are? 66% of Americans are overweight or obese. See #2 for clarification as to why. Most people can't set a goal and stick to it to save their lives and this folks is the problem. They think they have to spend money and go for the gusto. When in fact small daily changes will lead to bigger and better changes.
4. Quit Smoking- The hardest thing I have ever done! Put down the F%&*$#G cancer sticks. You stink, your breath stinks, your clothes stink, and for F's sake you are not only killing yourself you are exposing the rest of us to your misery. Especially those of you who smoke with your kids in the car...Oh yeah and CANCER....HELLO...You are not immune to the diseases that are related to smoking. They just haven't shown up yet.
5. Enjoy life more: I can't imagine how this one is supposed to work when I am adding more time with family and friends, getting fit, taming the bulge, quitting smoking, quitting drinking and trying to get out of debt. How in the hell can I enjoy life more? I love my bad habits that's why I have them.
6. Quit drinking: Next
7. Get out of debt- contrary to popular belief as long as we are humans and in the rat race we fight to control this one. $$ coming in can easily be less than $$ going out.
8. Learn something new: If I am by myself because my friends and family have shunned me because I am such a bitch from quitting smoking and drinking and all I talk about is working out and how they should also become healthier people. I am pretty sure I will be left alone and will have to entertain myself. It is then I will learn something new to occupy my time.
9. Help others: Unless I can help myself I have no business helping others...
10. Get organized: This requires time, effort, and energy that is easily put off as well.
Conclusion- Resolutions are bullshit. If you are unhappy with yourself or your life change it. Stop living in fear and putting off for tomorrow that in which you can do today. Make a plan, make it small, and for a short time frame. Adjust that plan as you go. Some days are good days and some days are bad days, but all days start out the same. They start with you and they end with you- everything in the middle may not be up to you, your choice is how you handle it.
These subjects will be visited throughout the year for updates...
