What is it about the New Year that compels us to shed bad habits and create new ones?
Many of us make resolutions and many of them are broken by January 31st. Yet come the next New Year, we do it all over again like the calendar cycle itself.
Logically, any other day of the year should be just as good to set up resolutions. So, what is the magic of New Year's resolutions?
Tune in for the next couple of minutes as we discover the magic that lies behind this world-wide celebrated day and how you can be inspired!
New Year's Resolutions Origins
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Around 4000 years ago in Babylon, the earliest recorded celebration honoring the coming of a new year was held. Calendars weren't as they are today, so the Babylonians kicked things off in late March during the first new moon after the Spring Equinox. The Babylonians made promises to get on the right side of all their gods. They felt this would help them start the new year off on the right foot.
Resolutions continued with the Romans. When the early Roman calendar no longer synced up with the sun, Julius Caesar decided to make a change. He consulted with the best astronomers and mathematicians of the time and introduced the Julian calendar, which more closely represents the modern calendar we use today. Caesar declared January 1 the first day of the year to honor the god of new beginnings, Janus. The Romans celebrated the New Year by offering sacrifices to Janus.
Today, our Gregorian calendar clearly marks January 1 as the official beginning of a new year. Certainly, many cultures consider other dates as the beginning of a new year. Equated with a new year is a new beginning. The symbolism of using a publicly-acclaimed date for a new beginning may make us feel as if we have the support of a whole population for our New Year's resolutions.
People love symbols, rituals and structure; obviously some need them more than others. There is a symbolic communal oath being taken by making a resolution on January 1, even if we make our resolutions silently and privately. Entwined in this symbolic gesture, is a mysterious human trait called "magical thinking". Have you ever read your horoscope, avoided walking under a ladder or bought a lottery ticket? These are all forms of "magical thinking". We imbue events, dates, places and people with powers that defy logic but nonetheless give us comfort and hope.
January 1 is a "magical" date and a vow made on this day is much more powerful than one made on August 26, for example. (Unless, of course, August 26 holds special meaning for you.)
Keep the Magic Going!
Though making new year's resolutions are as common as December turns into January, very few people actually stick to those resolutions. The odds of keeping your resolution aren't so good, but with a little magic and positive thinking, anything is possible. Achieving goals, breaking bad habits, and stepping into your full potential are all intentions that can be strengthened, and you'll be able to make this year your best year yet!
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The Reno Express office is located at 3973 S. McCarran Blvd, Reno NV 89502 and serves the Northern Nevada region. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to stop by, visit
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