Episode 6: A New Year's Resolution that I hope everyone will set

Deliberate Aging

The text discusses the significance of New Year’s resolutions, beginning with two key dates in January: January 1st, when most resolutions start, and Quitter’s Day (the second Friday in January), when enthusiasm often begins to wane. By mid-February, many people abandon their resolutions altogether.

New Year’s resolutions are popular because they offer a sense of renewal and the opportunity for self-improvement. Defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as promises to oneself to adopt positive habits or quit negative ones starting January 1, the tradition dates back 4,000 years to ancient Babylon, where people pledged to repay debts or return borrowed items. Today, resolutions tend to focus on self-improvement, like weight loss or healthier living. However, while more than 40% of Americans and 27% of Brits set resolutions, very few achieve them.

Experts recommend the following strategies to make resolutions more achievable:

1. Identify your "why": Understand the deeper reason for your goal, such as wanting better health to play with grandkids.
2. Be specific and realistic: Instead of vague goals like "exercise more," set measurable goals like "exercise three times per week."
3. Break goals into mini-steps: Focus on smaller, incremental goals that build toward your larger objective. For example, commit to eating a healthy breakfast most mornings before tackling bigger dietary changes.

The most common resolutions for 2025 include saving money, eating healthier, exercising more, and losing weight. While it may seem futile to set resolutions given their high failure rate, the text argues that having goals is essential for human fulfillment. Whether it’s a grand ambition like reaching the moon or smaller goals like teaching a grandchild the alphabet, striving for something brings purpose and motivation.

Finally, I’d like to recommend one resolution that I think everyone should make:

Schedule your annual health screenings with your doctors (primary care, eye doc, OBGYN, and any specialists that you see regularly), dentist, dermatologist. Schedule them and put them on your calendar now so that you’re all set for the year. This proactive step can help ensure a healthy year ahead.

Happy 2025!
Common New Year's Resolutions and How To Keep Them
Tips To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
Chart: America's Top New Year's Resolutions for 2025 | Statista

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