Hi everyone, I hope you’re all well. It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for my second post in the Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews. You can read what others thought about this week’s topic here.

Today’s topic is:

What I Think About New Year’s Resolutions

What are New Year’s Resolutions?

A new years resolution is a concept initially invented by the ancient Babylonians around 4000 years ago. They were the first recorded civilisation to celebrate the New Year (which for them was in mid-march rather than January). During their twelve-day-long celebration, they reaffirmed their loyalty to their king (or crowned a new one). They also made promises to the gods that they would repay their debts and give back anything they had borrowed. If the Babylonians kept their promises, then their gods would reward them. These promises are the precursors to our modern-day resolutions.

Resolutions and Me

Growing up, my siblings and I were often encouraged to make a New Year’s resolution, though, unlike the Babylonians, we weren’t worried about being punished by the gods. The purpose of our resolutions was to teach us the value of making and keeping a promise. At least, that was the hope of my parents.

Every year on the first of January, my mum and dad would ask us what our resolutions for the New Year would be, and we’d each write them down and promise to keep them for the whole year. We were also encouraged to make them at school after the Christmas holidays.

The problem was, however, that none of us took it seriously. We’d promise things like cutting down on sugar, completing all our homework on time, and the big one – being nice to each other for the whole year. What kind of siblings are nice to each other for the entire year? I mean, I’m sure those people exist, but they certainly didn’t in our house. Not for the whole year!

As I grew older, my resolutions changed, and unlike when I was a kid, I used to genuinely mean them when I made them. They were often things like quitting smoking (when I still smoked – I’ve been smoke-free 7 years now!), eating healthier or exercising and inevitably, they’d all be broken by the end of January.

Now, I don’t bother with making New Year’s resolutions. I’m not against them; they can serve a purpose, at least for some. For example, New Year’s resolutions can be a jumping-off point for people to break bad habits or create new healthy ones. Some are more likely to stick to something for a whole year if they start on the first of January. But for others, like me, resolutions can mean pressure; some people can be hyper-focused on completing a resolution, and it can be crushingly disappointing if they can’t fully commit to it.

I believe it’s better to be flexible. Give yourself a break. If you make a resolution, perhaps think of it as a guide rather than a rule. You might find you’re better able to keep them.

Anyway, that’s it for my second Wednesday weekly blogging post. Thanks for reading.

Until next time,

George

© 2023 GLT

Categories: life, Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge

Tags: blogging, challenge, January, new year, resolutons, Wednesday, Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge, writing