The start of the year means seeing excessive amounts of “New Year, New Me” posts on social media. Popular brands post articles explaining the various trendy resolutions people should make that coming year.
According to the article, “The History of New Year’s Resolutions,” the act of making new year resolutions started about 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. Differently from those making resolutions today, those living in Babylon would celebrate the new year in March when crops were planted.
During this time, the people would partake in a 12-day celebration called “Akitu,” to crown a new king or reaffirm their loyalty to their current serving king. In addition, they would also make promises to the gods to either repay their debts or return items they had previously borrowed. If they broke these promises, it was believed that the Babylonians would fall out of favor with the gods.
A few thousand years later, in ancient Rome, Julius Caesar decided to adjust the calendar to make the first day of January the beginning of the year.
Today, people use the first day of January as a way to restart their lives or change habits. Even though resolutions can be changed at any point throughout the year, the new year brings a sense of starting over with a clean slate.
“This year, my New Year’s resolution is to stop procrastinating on my schoolwork because procrastinating has caused me stress and anxiety in the past. I feel the happiest when I am on top of things instead of waiting last minute,” said Junior Biology major Ashly Simmons. “I also want to focus on myself more by setting boundaries and prioritize myself rather than putting others before myself and my needs.”
There are endless resolutions people could make each year. These resolutions allow people to be in control of how they carry out their resolutions.
“I make New Year’s resolutions, but I do not do them as goals that I have to meet. I make them as a mental space that I want to be in this year,” said English masters student Jordan Terry. “This year my resolution is to do everything with my own peace and happiness in mind.”
Even though New Year’s resolutions are popular and important to thousands of people each year, they are not for everyone.
“I do not make New Year’s resolutions because I feel like if I want to change something then I should start working towards changing it no matter what time of year,” English Masters student Stephanie Martin said. “However, I see why other people make resolutions because they bring comfort to someone that a new year will be different, and hopefully better.”
In spite of the spread of Covid-19, there are numerous resolutions that people can make that can benefit their health and safety. Setting resolutions that include journaling, exercise at home, and reading are ones that allow people to stay home.
“Things fluctuate all the time, including good and bad things,” Martin elaborated. “So I just would with what I have at any given moment and try to make the best of it.”
