So when did this New Year’s Resolution tradition begin? Turns out it was a long time ago, a very long time ago – around 4000 years ago in Babylon, a region now known as Iraq. The Babylonians were also the first to record celebrations in honor of the new year, but it was in March when the crops were planted. During a 12-day celebration, they made promises to the gods that could be considered the forerunners to our current day New Year’s resolutions.

Julius Caesar tinkered with the calendar in ancient Rome and established January 1 as the new beginning of the year around 46 B.C.E. January named after Janus, the two-faced Roman god, was thought to inhabit doorways and arches, symbolically looking backward into the previous year and ahead into the future. Romans offered sacrifices to the gods and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.

In the 1700s, churches would encourage their congregations to use the first day of the new year as a day of thinking about past mistakes and resolving to make a better future. “Watch Night” services held on New Year’s Eve, including reading from the scriptures and hymn singing, were created as a spiritual alternative to parties and celebrations. New Year’s resolutions are no longer a secular practice and instead of making promises to the gods, most people make resolutions to focus on self-improvement.

About 40% of Americans set New Year’s resolutions, but 80% of those folks break their resolutions around the second week in February. So we “behave” ourselves in January, and fall to temptation around Valentine’s Day! Connection or coincidence? Most resolutions fail due to unrealistic expectations. We set goals that become overwhelming instead of setting small achievable steps.

Behavior is hard to change. Before dedicating your energy to a resolution, think about what it takes to make that change. Most importantly, you have to be realistic. Setting small goals that are attainable gives you a sense of accomplishment. Plan ahead so your mindset kicks in on day one, and decide how you will deal with the temptation to break that promise you made to yourself. Invite friends or family members to share your resolution and pledge to motivate each other to stay on track. Try not to obsess with an occasional slip, take one day at a time and stick to it. Old habits are hard to break because they become part of your personality. Change doesn’t happen overnight, be persistent and patient… and keep trying. Recommit to your resolutions every month and keep track of your accomplishments.

Here are some of the most common resolutions. You have probably made some of these yourself. Were you successful?

Eat healthier. Exercise more. Lose weight. Save more money and pay off debt. Learn a new skill or hobby. Travel more. Watch less TV. Read more. Find a new job. Volunteer with a charity.

Start your own business. Quit smoking. Drink less alcohol. Spend more time with family and friends.

Penny and her family moved to Chapel Hill in 1998. She soon joined the Town of Chapel Hill’s Telecommunications and Technology advisory board and was appointed by the town to the OWASA board of directors where she served 6 years and held the Vice Chair position. In 2009 she ran and was elected to the town council in Chapel Hill, and in 2012 ran and was elected to the BOCC where she served 8 years, the last two as chair of the board. Penny owns and operates a personal chef and catering company and has been published in Cary Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, INDY Week, Southern Neighbor and News14. She lives in Carrboro with her mom Jersey Jacky. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram

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