Everyone has thought about it: about really putting in the time to make the saying “New Year New Me” actually true. Whether you quit a bad habit, or start a good one, you want to be a new person every year, these expectations (almost) always fall flat.
What exactly is a New Year resolution, though? It can be defined as something you wish to accomplish or do over the new year of your life.
Why do people try knowing it won’t work? Because we’re human. Every great feat you see is because we are human. We try things that are “impossible” to do because of the chance that you’ll succeed. Maybe Thomas Edison’s New Year’s resolution was to make the light bulb?
As for why we do this at the New Year instead of some random Tuesday, that is simple: people tend to like having deadlines. “I’ll stop biting my nails by New Year’s Day.” The world functions on deadlines. Your final grade for the quarter has a deadline (it doesn’t actually, unless it’s the fourth quarter, but teachers don’t want you to know that…), your test has a deadline, video game developers have deadlines, movie makers have deadlines, and this article had a deadline too.
The holiday is more memorable than that random Tuesday as well. You’ll likely have many reminders that the New Years are coming up, whether from New Year’s sales, friends wanting to celebrate with you, or just by simply peeking at the calendar. It’s just easier to remember.
Many people participate in the making of New Year’s resolutions, but whether or not they stick to them, well, who knows. Many celebrities participate as well. It’s almost like they’re people too! Who would’ve known. Ariana Grande, a singer, wants to “make more time for [my] family and friends.” (in an interview with Truity, a celebrity journalism platform). James “Murr” Murray who is most known for his role on Impractical Jokers, wants to make a film and do 500 pushups this year.
Other celebrities, like tennis star Serena Williams, for example, believes in lifestyle over resolutions. “Big ones never stick.” Oprah Winfrey, host, prefers continuous improvement.
Common ideas for New Year’s resolutions include but are not limited to; going to the gym, quitting alcohol, quitting drugs, quitting any other bad habits, making new friends, getting new hobbies, and finding new things you like.
According to Pew Research Center, around 30-50% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, 31-38% of those being on going to the gym more or other healthy activities. Only around 10% actually keep their promise.
Where did this idea come from? Why did it stick? The answer is a lot further away than you’d think.
In an article published on Britannica, The first record of a celebration of the New Year comes from 2000 B.C.E in Mesopotamia when they celebrated the New Year or “Akitu” for 11 days, in accordance with a new moon in around mid-September. They were far from the first to celebrate, however. The early Greeks celebrated a new year during the winter solstice in December. The Roman Calendar started on March 1st, but the Julian Calendar changed this to January 1st, as adapted by the current Gregorian Calendar.
The only real difference from the Julian and Gregorian calendars is actually just the fact that the Gregorian has a leap year, but that topic is for another day.
In America, we typically celebrate with a plethora of activities. Some include college football, or more specifically the Rose Bowl, parades, wearing stupid glasses, and most importantly, waiting for the ball to drop in New York City. Grown adults wait hours in the cold and, quite frankly, gross New York City, waiting for an electronic ball to drop confetti. And, of course, creating resolutions we always give up on. But it’s alright. We have the least weird tradition in the world.
Yes, you heard that right. Or, read, I guess. There are other countries besides the United States. 195, to be more specific. That also depends on who you ask, however.
A few countries, like Germany and Great Britain do their traditions pretty similar to ours. They have resolutions, with Germany being more financially focused.
A few countries do a food-type of celebration. In Spain, they will eat 12 grapes at midnight. 1 grape per month, each grape brings good luck.
Others have wishes in the New Year. In Colombia, they will make 12 wishes, or deseos. In Russia, a moment of silence is observed at midnight for wishes.
A few countries have a rather loud way to enter the new year. People in Ireland tend to bang pots and pans to welcome in the New Year and to ward off any bad spirits. They burn effigies in Ecuador. In Denmark, they smash plates and bowls. I wonder if they wash the dishes beforehand? Or do they smash dirty plates? They wouldn’t have to clean dishes if they were just going to smash them. I wish I could do this instead of my chores…
Let’s zoom way back in on this metaphorical map and focus on little William Henry Harrison High School. Most of the participants in my poll do not participate in New Year’s resolutions, or just do it in their own way. One student, for example, participates in “Free Will Resolutions” which is basically the same thing as a New Year’s Resolution, but it pushes the person more out of their comfort zone. An example can be reaching out to compliment people everyday, when you’d usually not, or wearing an outfit you’d normally not wear.
In a way, you have changed this year. You are way different right now than the start of 2025. I mean, it’s been a year. You might still have that pesky nail-biting habit (been there, done that, I know.) or not go to the gym as much as you want, but you have changed. You made new friends, found new interests that shaped you, got a new hobby, accomplished new things, just like every other year. You might have even changed physically.
Actually, you certainly have. You constantly shed skin cells, every 5 years your taste buds change, you grow hair and nails every 6 months. You’re a different person than even 30 minutes ago. You’ve changed from when you clicked this article, albeit in a small way. No offense, but the small amount of grease left your fingertip and went on your trackpad, mouse, or screen, whatever you used, to click on and scroll to the end here.
At the end of the day, don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t complete your resolutions. You’re 100% not alone. If you can keep up with your goals, then that’s awesome. You’re in the 10th percentile of Americans. Besides, you’ve done more impressive things than you even notice. Good job.
