New Year’s Resolutions – the Annual Quest for Self-Improvement
As the year 2012 draws near, most people will again venture to make their fearless New Year’s Resolutions as part of their annual quest for self-improvement. Statistics would show that almost 90% fail in their attempts to change for the better but this has not prevented them from continuing with their quest every year. New Year is associated with new beginnings, new hopes, and new opportunities.
Historical Background of New Year’s Resolutions
Making New Year’s Resolutions has a religious component to it based on historical records. It was the time used by ancient Babylonians to promise gods that they will return borrowed objects and pay debts. The god Janus from which the month of January was named after, had his fill of promises from Romans at the beginning of each year. Different religions also used the start of the year to reaffirm commitment, reflect on wrongdoings, and seek forgiveness from people they have wronged in some way.
Regardless of belief however, New Year has always symbolized new beginnings and starting anew and thus has been used by people to make new commitments and promises which are aimed at self-improvement. A list of resolutions is similar to a personal plan for the year and is expected to be positive and beneficial to the person making it and the people surrounding that person. It has been observed however that modern-day resolutions have a tendency towards superficial matters such as physical appearance rather than intrinsic change.
Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions of all Time
Based on research, the most popular New Year’s Resolutions revolved around improvement of self, finances, education/career, health/well-being, and lifestyle. Since these areas cover more or less the categories included in this blog, the most popular resolutions per category are listed below:
Self
1. To get rid of or change bad behavior into good ones
2. To give more time to self and self-development
3. To pursue new interests and hobbies where genuine interest exists
Finances
1. To settle existing debts and start on a clean financial slate
2. To spend wisely
3. To save
Education/Career
1. To study better or more often
2. To finish a degree or higher learning program/ To learn something new
3. To find a job that is genuinely liked or preferred/ To aim for promotion
Health/Well-Being
1. To quit smoking and/or other vices
2. To take better care of one’s self
3. To eat healthy/ To lose weight
Lifestyle
1. To lead a simple, organized and stress-free life
2. To start green living
3. To help others more
My Say
Although most resolutions fail in relation to their original intentions, pursuing New Year’s Resolutions is still expected to provide benefits because of the steps undertaken towards accomplishing established goals. Since many things that are sought to be changed or improved cannot be done in a single swift action, taking small and consistent steps is a welcome course of action. The accomplishments made for each year equate to solid steps towards achieving the main goal. The greatest danger lies in backsliding or going back to the old ways after obtaining some benefits. New Year’s Resolutions will always be part of the human quest for self-improvement whether they are announced or not.
Earl Pablo
Great New Year’s Resolution. Giving more time to yourself is awesome. Everyone deserves that change.
Teresa Martinez
Everyone deserves to have the chance to take care of one’s self for how can one do anything for another if he or she continues to neglect self?
ralph
new year or any day resolution, mentioned or not, what’s important is, we do something to be better or for the betterment of others… and being near to our Lord. happy new year, teresa. Yahweh bless.
Teresa Martinez
In our hearts, we know what needs to be improved in ourselves. It is really up to us to address them. Happy New Year!
marrimye
I don’t have any list of resolutions ever since… It’s always been my practice to make my goals simpler and easier to achieve. I’ll make sure that as I grow older each day… I’ll be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and most of all, a better servant of GOD.
Teresa Martinez
We can call it resolutions or by other names as long as it boils down to a better us.
Alwin
I stopped making new years resolution since time i cannot remember. not that i’m afraid to fail, it’s not just me. what i do is write down my goals instead and strive to work on them taking note of the lessons i learned from the past
Teresa Martinez
Resolutions, goals, plans – they are more or less the same in the aspect of self-improvement.
Rovie
I don’t usually make a list of new years resolution but I believe in creating plans and making it happen. I don’t think I’d be consistent with the resolution though because I always take things as it comes and decide based on current situation.
The popular new year’s resolution listed is are very ideal and I also have those in mind but not as a resolution but as a challenge to myself.
Happy New Year sis!
Teresa Martinez
Happy New Year Rovie! Let us all challenge ourselves to be an improvement of what we were during the past years and be better off for it.
Kenneth Ravida
Good resolutions, learned about its historical backgrounds, I never thought it was a religious thingy. I encounter a lot of New year resolution post. Might take a look at my blog and look for the video on the sides that tackles about New Years resolution. Its a short video, but it is informative I will say.
Teresa Martinez
I’ll take a look at it later.
myrnz
Happy to read this great post. !’m inspired by reading beautiful, positive and motivational quotes and specially these days, New Year’s resolutions. 🙂 Happy New Year Tess!
Teresa Martinez
Happy for your visit to my blog as well. Happy New Year!
Mhie@travelentz
New Year’s resolution is fun ways to look back after the end of the year, so far my New Year’s resolution from 2012 was pretty achievable,hope this year I could make at least 10 but am at the point its getting harder to make as I grow old.
Teresa Martinez
A list of resolutions can be a means of checking what we achieved for a year although a physical list is not actually required.
Nova
New year’s resolution is very common now, it is their way of committing into something to make their lives even longer…
Teresa Martinez
I’m not quite sure what you mean about lives being longer because of resolutions so I’m guessing it’s the commitment which encourages people not to give up until the accomplishment. I think you may have a point there.
Donald Pagulong
If you want to get frustrated, then why not make a list of 100 New Year resolutions. LOL Joke lang sis, but I prefer having one or two resolutions that are attainable. Ex, 1. I’ll get rid of my wife..
2. I’ll close my FB account for good.
Teresa Martinez
It’s better to have fewer resolutions which are attainable although I’m pretty sure the ones you mentioned are not the real ones.LOL
Mary Anne Velasco
I don’t really create a New Year’s Resolution list every year. But that most popular resolutions on the list above, it seems like my goal every year. I just have them all in my brain and heart and try to live them every day. Happy 2013!!!
Teresa Martinez
There is really no harm in trying to be better. New Year is actually just a symbolism for new beginnings but we can start whenever we want.
ems
I used to have a new year resolution, but I ended up not doing it. So now for a change, I’ll have a things-to-do list.. So that i will do all these things this year! I’m keeping my fingers crossed! LOL!
Teresa Martinez
Good luck on you to-do things! Hope the New Year will be brighter for you and your family.
Donald Pagulong
I guess, each person is entitled to at least 1 New year resolution that is 99% attainable. But for me, why wait for New Year when pwede mo namang baguhin ang mali sa life style mo. Happy 2013 Teresa
Teresa Martinez
Happy New Year! You are absolutely right, we can start anytime we wish to as long as we do it.
Adventurous AdventuRoj
True! I guess the better way to do it is just to set goals on a daily basis, rather than a yearly one.. easier and simplier.. anyway days turn into months, and months into years.. you just need to slice it into smaller chunks! 😉
Teresa Martinez
The simpler we make it, the more attainable it becomes but this should not prevent us from aiming higher when needed.
ChrisAir Martinez Abenes
nice research teresa I though it was just a tradition didn’t know its history
Teresa Martinez
In the back of my mind, I always want to know how something came to be so most of my posts contain a brief history. This is the fun part about writing, we also get to learn in the process.
Chubskulit Rose
I don’t do New Year’s resolution, I just do whatever I can! Although it is nice to outline whatever you want to do, sometimes life gets in the way and it never work out the way you want it to happen.
Teresa Martinez
Life will not always agree with our plans so we need to do the best we can.
chicalgene
I love the new year because it means new beginning. Resolutions can really change lives!
Teresa Martinez
There is really no harm in trying to do better anytime of the year.
Yamito Uytingco Calamba
This is a good review. I started doing New Year’s Resolutions as a requirement for our journalism class when I was on 4th grade until high school. And i wrote it just for the sake of writing it. And then it grew on me when i got into college and started calling as My Yearly Goal in Life than some resolutions. And i made sure that all im writing is attainable before the year ends , for the better. 😉 HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Teresa Martinez
That is good to know. Happy New year to you as well!
traveling morion
Fail ako lagi sa New Year’s resolution en tama “I never give up”. Happy New Year Ms. teresa- more blessings!
Teresa Martinez
Happy New Year to you and your family! Although it is a very tired line, we can do nothing but try and try until we succeed.
Brenna
I used to do resolutions as well. But this year, I learned that I never really do it, so I stopped believing in it. I think people can truly do well without resolutions. As long as they want to make their life better, they will.
Teresa Martinez
Yes, those who really want to make their life better will do something about it.
Sumi Go
I also find myself failing whenever I make a new year’s resolution. Like amayachika, I just do. Listing my goals down hasn’t been effective for me. Just setting my mind to do, then listing them down when accomplished, is a better method for me personally 🙂
Anyway, happy new year sis! I hope 2013 will bring you more blessings!
Teresa Martinez
Doing what needs to be done is actually the best way to go about it, with a list or without. Happy New Year to you as well Sumi!
Tess Torrecampo (@Blogandme)
I don’t make new years Resolution ever since , simply because it is a commitment and I know I cannot hold on to that. I just do which I believe is best for myself and the people around me.
Teresa Martinez
I don’t make a list of my resolutions but I have those resolutions in my heart and in my head to guide me along the way.
Ted Claudio (@TedClaudio)
As you said, New Year resolutions is part of human nature’s desire to change. New Year marks a new beginning so people use it as an anchor. However, everyday is a new beginning as well. We can make the decision to change for the better any day. Happy New Year!
Teresa Martinez
You are quite right when you say that everyday is a new beginning. New Year is actually more of a symbolism, I think.
Daquio Janine
I like it! my new year’s resolution for 2012 is to not get alcoholic.. good thing I almost did it perfectly – for 10 months I got rid of it. i was thinking for 2013 right now.
Teresa Martinez
I hope you can continue where you left off. Take care!
leadershipforfilipinos
I agree that it is a must to have New Year Resolutions. They say if you fail to plan you plan to fail. What is the coming year without a goal?
Teresa Martinez
I agree. Although most of us are bound to fail especially if we are aiming at perfection, we still need to set goals for ourselves, written or unwritten.
Mary Jane Tauyan Fitzsimmons
true!! Everyone will still make their own new years resolution they may not pursue it this 2013 at least they know in their heart that they needed to do some changes themselves! happy new year! xx
Teresa Martinez
Happy New Year to you as well! Here’s hoping we can have the strength and determination to become better.
Franc Ramon
I think having a new year’s resolution is always good as its a commitment in trying to become a better person. Happy New Year!!!
Teresa Martinez
Happy New Year! I know you are so familiar with goals because of your dedication to sports so I think commitment is not new to you.
jo-ann
I do have lots of new year’s resolution because for me this will serve as my guide for the year.
Teresa Martinez
Setting goals for ourselves help us approach our limitations in a more positive way.
amayachika
I really don’t have a NEW YEAR RESOLUTION. Because I always fail. All I do is not to think of it but I am trying my very best to change for the better.
Teresa Martinez
What is important is we never give up on trying to be better for once we give up, we give up on ourselves and our loved ones.