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It is rumored that the New Year’s Resolution tradition began over 4,000 years ago when the Babylonians promised the newly crowned king that they would pay their old debts and return anything that might have been borrowed.
I have to wonder if just the act of promising things is the only tradition that we have kept. Because it seems that keeping the resolutions has been a lost art.
The University of Scranton performed a study to see how many people actually keep to their resolutions, and the numbers are not very promising.
It was found that only eight percent actually stick to their promises made when the clock strikes midnight on January 1.
I guess part of the issues is accountability. When we are not held accountable for our actions or downfalls, we tend to lose sight of the bigger picture.
Also, a large portion of the resolutioners promise to eat right and live healthy. That proves to be a difficult task when healthy food is upwards of $10 per item, and a burger is $1.
The second most common thing that people promise in their resolutions is to spend less money and be financially stable. That is a humorous one to me. If we spent the past 20 years living paycheck to paycheck, we are not going to all of a sudden be finanical wizards who can save more than $5 per paycheck.
The interesting part about the survey done by the University of Scranton was the amount of people promising to quit smoking or drinking – 19 percent. Only 19 percent of the population want to quit some of the nastiest, unhealthiest habits known to man. Yet, they want to eat right and live healthier. Do we see a disconnect somewhere?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 40% of Americans are considered obese. Those numbers show that not many people are sticking to their New Year’s Resolutions.
Why does it seem that resolutions are equipped to fail? The New York Post reported that many of the goals are unrealistic. There is not an average human who can quit smoking or lose weight without dedication and some sort of accountability.
Dr. Carly Moores, a registered nutritionist said the best way to see results, is to make small changes, write down your goals and keep a blog.
I am definitely not in the eight percent mentioned earlier. I barely make it to February before my New Year’s Resolution is a distant memory.
So, I’ve figure out how to keep my yearly promise, don’t make one. For 2020, my New Year’s Resolution is to not make a New Year’s Resolution.
The Madill Record wants to see what different types of resolutions are out there. Email me at shalene@madillrecord.net and tell me your resolution, and how you plan on sticking to it.