New Year's Resolutions: Be Happy and Safe

It's that time of the year again. .. the holidays are over and the new year is almost upon us. This is the time of year when people start making resolutions for the coming year. People will be making resolutions to loose weight, to quit smoking, to save more money, to keep in touch with family and friends better, and so on and so on.

The tradition of New Years resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C, Janus, a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the head of the calendar. Janus had two faces and could look back on the past events, and forward into the future as well. Janus became a symbol for resolutions and Romans looked to him for forgiveness from their enemies. They also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year. January was named after Janus as well. At midnight on December 31st, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the next.

Did you know that New Years hasn't always been on January first either? It also doesn't begin on that date everywhere today either. Only cultures that use a 365 day calendar celebrate the New Year on January first.When Julius Caesar developed a better way to reflect the seasons with a 365 day calendar in 46 B.C., that's when the New Year came to be January first. Although the date for New Years is not the same in every culture, it's always a cause for celebration and customs to try to ensure good luck in the coming year.

I make a couple of resolutions every year. By the end of January I have broken them. This year about 100 million Americans will make New Year's resolutions. It has been studied and studies have shown that about 60% of people actually have still kept their number one resolution two months later. I was assuming that I just don't have the will power, but there are a few things that I found out I could try to do to help me keep my resolutions this year! In order to have a fighting chance at keeping your resolutions, the first thing you need to be sure of, is that you have a strong initial commitment to make a change. You also need to make sure that you have some coping strategies to deal with problems, should they arise. Last but not least, keep track of your progress. The more you keep track, the better you will do with your resolutions. There are also some sure fire ways to fail with your resolutions too. Not thinking about your resolution until the very last minute is a big one. Also, reacting on New Years Eve, and basing your resolutions on what's bothering you at that moment in your life will likely lead to you not keeping your resolutions. One other thing...don't 'frame' your resolutions as an absolute either. None of the phrase, "I'll never do [that] again this year.

No matter how you celebrate the New Year, or how many resolutions you make this year, be happy and safe, and even if you mess up with your resolutions, try again, sooner or later you'll get it!