Editing New Year's resolution

{{short description|Promise or commitment an individual makes around January 1st}}
[[File:Postcards2CardsNewYearsResolution1915.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Early 20th-century New Year's resolution postcards]]
A '''New Year's resolution''' is a tradition, most common in the [[Western World]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rössner |first1=S. M. |last2=Hansen |first2=J. V. |last3=Rössner |first3=S. |date=February 2011 |title=New Year's Resolutions to Lose Weight – Dreams and Reality |journal=Obesity Facts |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=3–5 |doi=10.1159/000324861 |pmid=21372604 |pmc=6444530 |doi-access=free }}</ref> but also found in the [[Eastern World]], in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait or behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise improve their behaviour at the beginning of a [[calendar year]].

==Religious origins==
Around 2000 B.C., the [[Babylonia|Babylonians]] celebrated the New Year during a 12-day festival called [[Akitu]] (starting with the vernal equinox). This was the start of the farming season to plant crops, crown their king, and make promises to return borrowed farm equipment and pay their debts.<ref>
{{Cite web |url=https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions/|title= The history of new years resolutions |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=History.com|access-date=2023-01-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|author=Lennox, Doug
|title=Now You Know Big Book of Answers one of the amazing thing
|publisher=Dundurn
|location=Toronto
|year=2007
|page=250
|isbn=978-1-55002-741-9
}}</ref>

The Babylonian New Year was adopted by the [[Ancient Rome|ancient Romans]], as was the tradition of resolutions. The timing, however, eventually shifted with the Julian calendar in 46 B.C., which declared January 1st as the start of the new year and began each year by making promises to the god [[Janus]], for whom the month of January is named.<ref>{{cite book
|author=Julia Jasmine
|title=Multicultural Holidays
|publisher=Teacher Created Resources
|year=1998
|page=116
|isbn=1-55734-615-1
}}</ref>

In the [[medieval era]], the [[knight]]s took the "[[Les Voeux du paon|peacock vow]]" at the end of the [[Christmastide|Christmas season]] each year to re-affirm their commitment to [[chivalry]].<ref name="Lennox">{{cite book
|author=Lennox, Doug
|title=Now You Know Big Book of Answers
|publisher=Dundurn
|location=Toronto
|year=2007
|page=250
|isbn=978-1-55002-741-9
}}
</ref>

At [[watchnight service]]s, many [[Christians]] prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.<ref name="Ritchie">{{cite book|author=James Ewing Ritchie|url = https://archive.org/details/religiouslifelo00ritcgoog |page=[https://archive.org/details/religiouslifelo00ritcgoog/page/n238 223]| title = The Religious Life of London|year=1870|publisher = [[Tinsley Brothers]]|access-date = 2011-12-28}}</ref> In [[Methodism|Methodist Christianity]], the liturgy used for the watchnight service for the New Year is the [[Covenant Service|Covenant Renewal Service]]; in addition to being traditionally held on New Year's Eve, many churches offer the Covenant Renewal Service on both New Year's Eve and on the morning of New Year's Day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watch Night Service |url=https://www.umc.org/en/content/watch-night-service |publisher=[[The United Methodist Church]] |access-date=1 January 2021 |language=en |date=15 October 2013}}</ref>

This tradition has many other religious parallels. During Judaism's New Year, [[Rosh Hashanah]], through the [[High Holy Days]] and culminating in [[Yom Kippur]] (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People can act similarly during the [[Christianity|Christian]] liturgical season of [[Lent]], although the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility.<ref name=" Ritchie"/>{{Verify source|date=January 2017}} The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon [[self-improvement]] annually.

== Participation ==
The 1671 diary of [[Anne Halkett]] includes an entry on January 2 titled "Resolutions", which contained a number of religious pledges taken primarily from bible verses, such as “I will not offend any more.”<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=New Year's Resolutions: A Pretty Old Practice|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-did-new-years-resolutions-start|access-date=2022-01-09|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref>

By the beginning of the 19th century, the tendency of people to make (and fail to keep) resolutions was commonly known and satirized.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=New Year's Resolutions: A Pretty Old Practice|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-did-new-years-resolutions-start|access-date=2022-01-09|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref> ''Walker’s Hibernian Magazine'' in 1802 contained an article stating that “the following personages have begun the year with a strong of resolutions, which they all solemnly pledged to keep”, then listing a series of obviously fictitious resolutions (“Statesmen have resolved to have no other object in view than the good of their country…the physicians have determined to follow nature in her operations, and to prescribe no more than is necessary, and to be very moderate in their fees.”)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=New Year's Resolutions: A Pretty Old Practice|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/when-did-new-years-resolutions-start|access-date=2022-01-09|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref>

An early instance of the complete phrase "new year resolution" is found in a January 1st issue of a Boston newspaper from 1813:<blockquote>And yet, I believe there are multitudes of people, accustomed to receive injunctions of new year resolutions, who will sin all the month of December, with a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behaviour, and with the full belief that they shall thus expiate and wipe away all their former faults.<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>At the end of the [[Great Depression]], about a quarter of American adults formed New Year's resolutions.  At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/|title=New Years Resolution Statistics - Statistic Brain|date=9 January 2018|website=statisticbrain.com|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> In fact, according to the [[American Medical Association]], approximately 40% to 50% of Americans participated in the New Year's resolution tradition from the 1995 Epcot and 1985 Gallup Polls.<ref>Norcross, JC, Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 58(4), 397-405, 2002</ref> A study found 46% of participants who made common New Year's resolutions (e.g. weight loss, exercise programs, quitting smoking) were likely to succeed, over ten times as among those deciding to make life changes at other times of the year.<ref>Norcross, JC, Mrykalo, MS, Blagys, MD, J. Clin. Psych. 58: <span id="GC-number-1" class="GC-cs-link" title="Call with Google Voice">397-405. 2009</span></ref>

== Success rate ==
Evidence for actual behaviorial changes after New Year's resolutions is mixed. The effect is most pronounced immediately after the new year, but decreases soon afterwards.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Norcross |first1=John C. |last2=Vangarelli |first2=Dominic J. |date=1988-01-01 |title=The resolution solution: Longitudinal examination of New Year's change attempts |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899328988800166 |journal=Journal of Substance Abuse |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=127–134 |doi=10.1016/S0899-3289(88)80016-6 |pmid=2980864 |issn=0899-3289|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Approach-oriented goals, rather than avoidance-oriented goals, can lead to better results.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Oscarsson |first1=Martin |last2=Carlbring |first2=Per |last3=Andersson |first3=Gerhard |last4=Rozental |first4=Alexander |date=2020-12-09 |title=A large-scale experiment on New Year's resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=15 |issue=12 |pages=e0234097 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0234097 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=7725288 |pmid=33296385|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1534097O }}</ref>

In a 2014 report, 35% of participants who failed their New Year's resolutions admitted they had unrealistic goals, 33% of participants did not keep track of their progress, and 23% forgot about them; the remaining respondents claimed they made too many resolutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finder.com.au/press-release-bunch-of-failures-or-just-optimistic-finder-com-au-new-years-resolution-study-shows-new-year-novelty-fizzles-fast|title=Bunch of failures or just optimistic? finder.com.au New Year's Resolution Study shows New Year novelty fizzles fast - finder.com.au|first=Michelle|last=Hutchison|date=29 December 2014|website=finder.com.au|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref>

A 1972 study of 382 students at the University of Wisconsin showed minimal impact of New Year's resolutions on weight loss commitments, with the study finding that making a resolution or being monitored did not significantly affect weight loss.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Marlatt |first1=G. Alan |last2=Kaplan |first2=Burt E. |date=1972 |title=Self-Initiated Attempts to Change Behavior: A Study of New Year's Resolutions |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.2466/pr0.1972.30.1.123 |journal=Psychological Reports |language=en |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=123–131 |doi=10.2466/pr0.1972.30.1.123 |pmid=5012612 |s2cid=36886299 |issn=0033-2941|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

A 2007 study by [[Richard Wiseman]] from the [[University of Bristol]] involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail,<ref>{{cite news|last=Lehrer|first=Jonah|date=December 26, 2009|title=Blame It on the Brain|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> despite the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in [[goal setting]], wherein resolutions are made in terms of small and measurable goals (e.g., "lose a pound a week" rather than "lose weight").

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Wiktionary|New Year's resolution}}

{{New Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:New Year's Resolution}}
[[Category:Motivation]]
[[Category:New Year celebrations]]