New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s is the time when we leave the past behind and look forward to the future, and as we plan to make the days to come ahead even better and more fruitful, one of the most common tradition and practice that comes to mind is to make a New Year’s Resolution.

A resolution is basically, a task or goal that you make for yourself and set out to achieve and since the beginning of a New Year is the perfect time for new beginnings making a New Year’s Resolution is actually the perfect time to kick-start changes that you want to bring in your life.

Even though making resolutions might seem like a modern phenomenon it actually has ancient roots, as the ancient civilizations too had customs and practices in their times which may be comparable to the modern New Year’s Resolutions. For example the ancient Babylonians and romans would begin the New Year by making promised to their Gods, and the knights of the Medieval era would take vows which are known as “Peacock vows” at the end of Christmas week, and the beginning of the new Christian year. Modern religions too have similar traditions where at the end of the year, redemption is sought for the altercations that might have been committed the previous year, and promises, resolves are made for the future year.

Resolutions can be for anything, they can be for personal goals that one has set out to achieve or even professional things, there are a plethora of issues that people make resolutions for, so here are a few of the most popular resolutions that are seen around the world:

·         A Resolution towards getting fitter:

It’s a funny yet statistically proven fact that the first of January is perhaps the most packed day for gyms, and the month of January fetches in the most profits as most people resolve to exercise more and get fitter, however by the month of February things come back to normal, so in the resolution fever do not set up extreme goals, the point is to make an activity enjoyable so that it is sustainable, once you become regular, attaining your fitness goals would be the easiest thing.

·         A Resolution to lose weight:

Apart from the resolution to getting fitter the other most popular resolution is to lose weight, and probably the only way to achieve that is to set goals that are realistic and set small targets that can be achieved sooner and hence keep motivating you. Dieting is perhaps the unhealthiest way to go about it, since giving up things usually leads to binging later.

·         A Resolution to try enjoying life and not being stressed out:

It’s a common complaint of the working class that they are constantly plagued by stress, so it is time to take matter in your hands and try to relax by indulging in your favourite activities more often. Doing so not only makes you feel more relaxed but also enhances your performance in the working stage.

·         A Resolution towards acquiring new skills and learning new things:

Learning new things helps us evolve constantly, and only makes us richer and more knowledgeable, so learning a new language or activity is a good idea, not only does it keep things interesting but also helps you acquire new skills that can come handy at any point of time.

Now that we have compiled a list of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions here are a few pointers on how to achieve them without losing motivation and focus:

·         Try to start slow, one resolution at a time

·         Try to be clear about what you want it’s easier to lose drive about a vague resolution.

·         Chalk out a plan, organizing and managing generally produces better results.

·         Don’t wait to start planning on New Year’s only, chalk out the plan earlier so that you can begin with the New Year.

·         Learn from the past, and try to avoid making the same mistakes again.

·         Be positive about your resolution, it’s a great motivator.   

Have you set your New Year resolutions.