Bye bye, 2024, and hello 2025!
As we bid farewell to the past year, I can’t help but reflect on the challenges it brought. However, I’m stepping into the new year with high hopes and a positive mindset.
This is the time when many of us start thinking about our New Year's resolutions. Have you made any yet?
Hi! I'm TJ, and in this post, we’ll explore the tradition behind New Year's resolutions, why so many people struggle to keep them, and how to successfully set goals for the year ahead.
What is a New Year's Resolution and Where Do They Come From?
New Year's resolutions are goals or targets that people set around the end of the calendar year in hopes of bettering themselves in some way. These goals often include going on a diet, exercising more, eating healthier, traveling more, exploring new places, learning a new hobby, or improving existing skills.

But why do we do it? The history of making New Year's resolutions can be traced back as far as 4,000 years ago in Babylon. The Babylonians celebrated the spring equinox with a festival called Akitu, which marked their New Year. During this celebration, promises were made to their deities to pay off old debts and return borrowed items, entering the new year with a clean slate.
About 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans created their own version of New Year's resolutions. Julius Caesar established January 1st as the start of the new year to honor Janus, the two-faced god who looked both backward at the old year and forward into the new. Romans would make sacrifices to Janus in hopes of improving their luck in the coming year.
In medieval Europe, Christians practiced making resolutions around Christmas, reflecting on their behavior and seeking forgiveness for any sins, vowing to make improvements in the coming year.
As the world evolved, so did the tradition of making promises at the change of the year. Families now often take New Year's Eve as a time to reflect on the past year and make commitments to better themselves in various aspects of their lives in the coming year.
Why do many New Year's resolutions fail?
When I chat with people about New Year's resolutions, I often hear things like, "I don’t set them anymore because I can never stick to them," or "I just can’t reach the goals I set." It seems like a lot of us struggle with this! I used to set some each year but I eventually gave up because I always forgot them by March.
One big issue is that many of us set goals that are way too vague. Saying you want to "be happier" or "be healthier" is nice, but those goals are so broad that they can feel impossible to achieve. Without specific steps or a way to measure progress, it’s tough to stay on track. What does "being happier" really mean and how can you measure that? Is it about hanging out with friends more, trying out meditation, or picking up a new hobby? Getting clear on what we want can really help us out.
Plus, a lot of people go all out and set super ambitious goals that are hard to reach in just a year. It’s great to dream big, but when March rolls around and those goals start to feel overwhelming, it’s easy to lose motivation or just forget about them altogether.
As a perfectionist, I totally get how this can mess with your head. I often set goals but get so scared of not doing them perfectly that I hesitate to even start. The fear of failing or not being perfect can be a real roadblock.
And let’s be honest—setting too many goals in a year can feel like drowning in a sea of expectations. When we have too much on our plates, it’s easy to feel stressed out or discouraged, which can lead to giving up. Instead, focusing on a few specific, achievable goals can help us feel accomplished and keep us motivated to keep going.
How to set reachable goals and stick to them:

Using the SMART goal system is an effective way to make your goals clearer, easily achievable, and measurable.
Specific: Instead of saying, "I want to get fitter," you could say, "I want to exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times a week." Similarly, instead of saying, "I want to eat healthily," you could say, "I will cook using only fresh ingredients at least 3 times a week."
Measurable: You need to track your progress. If you want to exercise more, consider getting a smartwatch or an app on your phone that tracks your movements and maps your progress over time. If you lift weights at the gym, you could set a target of increasing your weight by two blocks every two weeks.
Achievable: Your goal should be within your reach. For example, saying you want to run a marathon by the end of the month is a bit far-fetched if you've never run before. However, following a training program to track your progress and aiming to run a marathon by the end of the year is more realistic.
Relevant: If you don't have a passion for getting fitter, don't set a goal to improve your fitness. Instead, find something you genuinely want to achieve, such as swimming a certain distance or participating in a specific competition or challenge.
Time-bound: Ensure your goal has a time frame. This way, it's easier to keep track of your progress relative to your time limit.
You can use this framework for any goal you want to set, not just New Years resolutions, and it works for different types of goals, so apply it to whatever your aims are and you'll be good to go.
If this strategic goal planning isn't really your style (it isn't mine, that's for sure!), you might consider alternative approaches like setting yourself a challenge!
For instance, a pen pal of mine has given herself a challenge at the start of every year for the past few years. She has enjoyed these challenges so much that she has continued them beyond the year's end, starting new ones each year! The first challenge she undertook was to engage in something creative every day, which she documented in a journal. This not only sparked her creativity but also provided her with a tangible record of her progress and experiences.
Her next challenge focused on fitness; she aimed to do some form of exercise every day, even if it meant just going for a small walk around the block. This small commitment helped her build a consistent routine and improve her overall well-being.
You could also explore various themes for your challenges, such as:
Learning: Dedicate time each day to learn something new, whether it's a language, a musical instrument, or a new recipe or do a free online course about something, watch a documentary every week or learn a new fact each day.
Mindfulness: Incorporate daily practices like meditation, journaling, or gratitude exercises to enhance your mental well-being.
Sustainability: Challenge yourself to adopt eco-friendly habits, like reducing plastic use, recycling more, or trying a plant-based meal once a week.
Social Connections: Set a goal to reach out to a friend or family member each week to strengthen your relationships.
The key is to choose challenges that resonate with you and bring joy or fulfillment. Documenting your journey can also help keep you motivated and allow you to reflect on your progress over time.

My goal going into the new year is to do something or visit somewhere new each month. I already have two things booked, I am going to a painting class in February and my partner and I are camping in the Lake district in August, which will be our first holiday together.
I want to learn some new skills, see some new places and experience new things, some of which will cost money and others will not. I also want to grow some new foods in my kitchen garden!
Your goals don't have to cost you money, or take up a lot of your time. Just make sure you set goals that are within your reach in terms of achievability and resources.
Whatever you choose to aim for, don't set yourself up to fail and then wonder why it didn't work. Set yourself up for success, and start small, you can always extend your goals throughout the year to fit your progress.
Let me know what your goals are for 2025! You can comment below or connect with me on social media, I love it when you guys reach out to chat!
Happy New Year, and I'll see you next week!
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