New Year’s Resolutions may be a thing of the past, dating back 4,000 years ago amongst Babylonians who, much like us, held celebrations in honor of a New Year. Their 12-day festivities (which took place in March) were a part of the Babylonians’ religious practices known as the Akitu (history.com). During said festivities, Babylonians made promises to repay debts in order to win favor in the coming new year.

Similar promises continue today even amongst us, but in a different form and for different reasons. Instead of making promises to “gods,” people make “resolutions” to themselves and/or others. These promises can include living a healthier lifestyle, ridding financial debt, improving work-home life (just to name a few of the most common).

When asking members of our school, responses were limited, which further supports New Year’s Resolutions just may be a thing of the past.

Mr. Miller seeks to get better sleep and resolves to “read for 20-30 minutes 5-7 nights a week. Hopefully this helps aid my sleeping.”  Perhaps, he should read our previous article about suggested readings from our very own Mr. Pollock.

Other resolutions (from disclosed students), one may want to consider for their own self-improvements include:

• “hold[ing] myself accountable…always thinking before speaking” – Sound advice for sure!
• “getting a least an 85% in every class” – Achievable with dedication and hard work!
• “getting stronger by regular exercise, hitting protein goals, and drinking lots of water” – Push hard to achieve this one!
• “manage my time better” – My suggestion is to get a planner and color code priorities!
• “save money and not waste it” – Avoid fast food and Starbucks if you seek no waste!

Regardless, we should all be setting new resolutions in our lives and not just when we roll into a new year. We should periodically check in on our goals and see where we stand and what we need to do to achieve our goals. Reaching any goal will only come when we work it.