Things You Never Knew About New Year's Resolutions

By the time you read this, you will have already given up on any New Year's resolutions you made to make changes in your life. Frankly, nothing important can really be decided upon at the click of a champagne glass at the stroke of midnight. If there's something you want to achieve, just set you mind to doing it, irrespective of the brouhaha over New Year's. There's no particular reason why our resolve to act should tie in with the first of January.

The tradition of New Year's resolutions dates to 153 B.C. when Janus, the mythical king of early Rome, was placed on the head of a calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. It is this aspect of the myth that lingers on in our celebrations today. The Chinese, however, use the lunar not the solar calendar so their celebrations take place at the time of the first full moon over the Far East, which falls somewhere between January 19 and February 21. If we take note of the arbitrariness of New Year's, and free our minds from the date of the first of January when we make our resolutions, we might have more chance of success.

Man has a dismal record of adhering to New Year's resolutions as various studies have shown. The University of Hertfordshire, UK, launched what it called a "first, mass participation experiment" a year ago to try to work out more scientifically what makes for a successful, achievable resolution; one that can help us on the road toward self betterment. Apparently, according to the study's author, millions of people around the globe make New Year's resolutions, but we still don't have a clue what advice to give them to succeed.
There are some good indicators as to what can motivate us to keep our resolve. We just need to get real about what we can achieve. The best advice is to think small, not big, when you are deciding on a resolution. The most common resolutions include stopping smoking, taking up regular exercise and eating healthier. These goals all require a mammoth effort, a plan and a considerable change in lifestyle to achieve.

We may dash out in early January to pick up a gym membership at a temptingly low, New Year price, only to work out by year end that our mere two trips to the gym costs us a fortune. Stopping smoking requires immense resolve and usually the consistent support of family and friends and possibly the enrolment at a self-help group, not to mention trips to a general practitioner. Healthier eating, especially if you are within a family unit, means working out how your new diet fits in with that of the rest of the family's preferences and needs.
None of these resolutions can be decided upon at the click of a champagne glass on the stroke of midnight. They all require a plan being hatched in November, if not earlier in the old year, and they are better off started at a time of year that suits you. As anyone in business knows, goals require a plan, and for that plan to be implemented if they are to be achieved. Our personal life requires much the same approach.

If you aren't prepared to commit to a big resolution, then here's how to avoid early disappointment: opt for the little things that can make you feel better instantly and are definitely achievable. Far better to resolve to remember people's birthdays, do all the nagging jobs around the house, spend time talking to your children every day, or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

These little things can make your life run happier and smoother, and require only minimal effort to accomplish. They are the minutiae of everyday, yet so important to our well being. For example, just resolving to leave the house fifteen minutes earlier in the morning can make a huge difference in our state of mind: we beat the traffic jam, arrive at work on time, can ease ourselves into the day with a cup of coffee and feel prepared, rather than rushed and stressed, before the day starts.

The inherent problem with big New Year's resolutions is that they are born more often than not our of desperation and fear. We feel depressed because we are overweight. We are ridden with guilt at not managing one activity a week that raises our heart rate. New Year's resolutions are our one shot a year to prod ourselves into action and toward success.
But, think for a moment. To be truly successful, we need our goals to be connected to our past and future. We shouldn't rely on an all or nothing approach to changing our lives, once a year. If our goals are drive by negative thoughts alone, we are unlikely to succeed. The building blocks of success need to be found in our everyday lives, not gathered up once a year.

To manage successful and lasting change, we need to have a passion that drives us, and something to be excited about. Bemoaning our state of health or berating ourselves for the error of our past ways won't put us in the right frame of mind. Try visualizing yourself succeeding, but not when you're under the influence of New Year's champagne, and there's no reason why you can't attain some life changing goals, any time of the year.