45°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Resolve to avoid resolutions

A new year. A new you. Making New Year’s resolutions to improve yourself or your life is a tradition that dates back thousands of years.

According to history.com, the idea of making New Year’s resolutions is believed to date back to ancient Babylonians roughly 4,000 years ago. Celebrations were held in spring, when crops were planted and their new year began. The Babylonians would promise the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. If they kept their word, the gods would favor them in the coming year. If not, well, the gods would not bestow good fortune on them.

It seems very little has changed in the past 4,000 years.

Early Romans and Christians had similar practices, making sacrifices to the gods or resolving to do better after reflecting on the past year’s misdeeds and mistakes.

While not celebrated in January, the Jewish new year has a similar theme — reflecting on the past year, asking for atonement and vowing to work for a better tomorrow.

Over the years, however, the tradition’s religious roots have been abandoned. Instead of making a promise to the gods — or god — people make resolutions for themselves. Often no one but themselves know what those resolutions are, making being held accountable for keeping them nearly impossible.

Perhaps that’s why research shows that while about 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent achieve their goals.

If gambling were allowed in Boulder City, it would be a safe bet that many of the resolutions made a mere six days ago are already broken or abandoned.

The poor rate of success is the main reason I don’t make resolutions. Why set myself up to fail?

That doesn’t mean I don’t set goals for myself. I do. They don’t just happen to begin at the start of each new year.

Leadership classes and workshops I have taken teach that planning and setting goals is key to achieving success for any type of resolution, made at the start of a new year or other time of the year.

The National Day Calendar, which designates the first week of January as New Year’s Resolution Week, echoes that sentiment. It states that Gary Blair, creator of the 100 Day Challenge, founded the week in 2005 to remind people of the importance of setting goals to stay on pace.

Like tackling a big project, it suggests breaking up your goal into smaller, easier attainable tasks. And it recommends not to make too many resolutions. Having too many irons in the proverbial fire can be overwhelming. To me it’s almost the same as being ravenous and stepping in front of a buffet. There are too many choices and you don’t know where to begin.

Satisfying that hunger, that desire to improve yourself or your life starts with a single bite, a small step. Each one brings you closer to being full and content. Each little accomplishment also helps motivate you to continue.

Working to make your life better or yourself happier is always a great way to start a new year on Jan. 1 or any other day of the year.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Teamwork resonates in City Hall

Every year, college basketball fans get excited for their team to play in the “Big Dance.” March Madness (women’s and men’s NCAA basketball) is down to the final four teams this weekend. It’s estimated that 34 million brackets were completed this year.

My bighorn buddies

Having grown up in Boulder City, I was always aware of its unofficial mascots …the bighorn sheep.

Can’t we all just disagree?

Once you asked me, “What do you think?”

What if they gave a war and nobody was home?

The subjects in most of the articles and columns I write tend to include positive stories about American veterans and veterans’ organizations. And in fact the pieces are about veterans, not active-duty military.

Gratitude for government

I moved to Boulder City in 1981. Boulder City is blessed to have been a government town. Can we recall the blessings we have received from government?

Trash talk isn’t always a bad thing

Allow me to warn you that this month’s Home Matters is filled with all kinds of trash talk. In fact, I’ve been trash talking with the city and BC Wastefree for a few days now. Why all this garbage gab? It’s time to take out the trash, properly.

Legislative season almost here

Ahhh… it is a wonderful time of year. Spring is just around the corner. The sun shines longer, the birds are singing, and plants are blooming. It is a magical time of year!

MY D_Y WITH P_T _ND V_NN_

Last night I caught a few minutes of “Wheel of Fortune” and whenever I do, I can’t help but think back to my time in Hawaii when the show came over to film a few weeks’ worth of episodes at the Hilton Waikoloa Village about 15 years ago.

A little late and clueless but still…

I know, I know, I know. I’m a week late for Valentine’s Day content. But my timing has always sucked. Just ask my wife.

Veteran caregivers hope for financial boost

Much has been spoken and written about in recent months about military and veteran caregivers, and the responsibilities they are charged with.