Understanding New Year's Resolutions: History and Success Tips

A notepad page with a list titled 'New Year's Resolutions' featuring items such as 'lose weight,' 'exercise,' 'drink more water,' 'quit smoking,' 'earlier to bed,' 'drink less,' 'pay off credit cards,' and a reminder for birthdays.

This year, around half of American adults reportedly made a New Year’s resolution. Twenty-one percent made multiple goals. Young adults are the most likely demographic to make a resolution. Among those who made resolutions, only a small minority feels confident they will stick to them. Participation in New Year’s resolutions is around 40–50% year to year. Only about 8% of people who set them actually keep them.

Crowd celebrating at Times Square, New York, with festive hats and noisemakers during a nighttime event.

New Year’s resolutions can be traced all the way back to ancient Babylonia around 4,000 years ago. During a spring festival called Akitu, the Babylonians would make a promise to their god to pay their debts and return what they had borrowed. It started as an annual religious practice. It would later pop up among ancient Romans, who would make vows to the god Janus, the god of beginnings and endings, for whom January is named. In 46 BC, the Julian calendar established January 1st as the start of the new year.

A lively historical scene depicting a crowd engaged in celebration or chaos in a classical setting, with various figures in elaborate costumes interacting near buildings.

It maintained prevalence into the Middle Ages. Resolutions typically had religious themes, while knights would annually renew their vows of chivalry. Seventeenth-century diary entries showed people using the new year as a time for looking inward. In modern times, New Year’s resolutions have, for the most part, lost their religious aspect and are focused on personal goals. The New Year’s resolution has probably survived this long because people like the feeling of being new. It’s a time when people are given a chance to wipe away their previous mistakes and focus on the future.

An open medieval manuscript book with ornate illustrations and text on decorative pages, featuring colorful initial letters and intricate border designs.

It gets people motivated to improve their lives. The only issue, and this is why the majority of resolutions aren’t kept, is that motivation is a short-term solution. Most people lose motivation within weeks or months. In order to stick with a difficult goal, there has to be a foundation of discipline. The real challenge comes once the initial motivation runs out. This can be remedied by setting smaller milestones, involving a friend, and making it a habit. The New Year’s resolution isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.