In fact, New Year resolutions go way back. The first people that were said to do so were the Babylonians some 4,000 years ago, according to History. The difference was, they didn’t make them in January but in mid-March when crops were planted.
And instead of resolving to cut down on bubble tea and give up smoking, Babylonians made promises to their gods to pay their debts and return borrowed objects. If they made good on their promises, the gods would grant them favours, such as a bountiful harvest for the year – or a big, fat bonus in today’s context.
As for us, these resolutions are “an opportunity to forgive the errors or failures made in the passing year and to start afresh”, said Annabelle Chow, a clinical psychologist with Annabelle Psychology.
Making resolutions is like closure for the previous year’s chapter of your life, she said. Moreover, doing so increases your sense of self-efficacy, which is “the belief that one has a sense of control over one’s life through action”. “This often manifests in needing to make resolutions for the new year and to resolve to achieve them.”
Starting afresh also helps to “focus our energies on people or activities that help to make our daily lives meaningful”, said Cecilia Chu, a specialist in clinical psychology with Raffles Counselling Centre.
