New Years Eve Resolutions

Promises of a new beginning

Each year as the countdown to bring in the New Year begins, New Year's Eve revelers all over the world, make a promise to themselves, a resolution for the New Year. This usually involves giving up something, taking on something or a general change of some sort.

Typically, New Year's resolutions are a way of wiping clean the slate of the previous year. Many people start out the New Year by taking stock and planning new courses of action to better their lives and look forward to the promise of a new beginning. Change is often seen as a good thing at this time, it's the beginning of a New Year - an opportunity to start anew.

Worldwide, the number of people making resolutions is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. From New York to Paris to Sydney, two very common resolutions prove very popular each year: people wanting to lose weight, and to be healthier by exercising more and smoking less. They want to do things better and improve the person they are.

It's hard not to get the resolution urge on New Year's Eve. Amongst your friends and family, celebrating and reflecting, there's that sense of renewal, of rebirth, starting afresh. Sure, resolutions in the past haven't made it past the first week of January, but hey, this year's going to be different, right?
At our New Year's celebrations we all stood together smiling at each other, sharing in another memorable moment and as the clock struck 12, we all kissed, hugged, cheered and danced. This made us wonder though; through how many minds did a resolution tick?

Well we all start out hoping that we will stick to our resolutions but often this task proves more difficult than first thought. Change in most instances is difficult enough, but personal change or growth can be even tougher.

So how many people actually follow through with their New Year's resolutions?

Well, we put our investigative hats on and took this question to the streets of Melbourne, Australia.

Firstly we asked people, what is their New Year's Resolution for 2003? These were some of the responses:

"To lose weight, keep fit, eat healthy and remain in contact with my friends."

"To take it easy in life and not stress too much about work".

"To lose weight and stop making excuses and just go for it."

"Get better school marks".

"To be more assertive, more aggressive and tell people what I really think."

"Choose a definite career path, be successful in whatever I do and be fit and healthy."

"To return to gym and work out those abs!"

"To stock my larder to the rafters with only the finest quality chocolate."

This was followed by the all-important question; did they intend to keep this resolution?

Of those surveyed, the majority did intend to follow through with their resolutions while a number of people WOULD make a conscientious effort, but did not feel confident that they would achieve their aims.

The next question we asked our participants was what other resolutions had they made in the past? And had they followed these through?

"My last resolution was to quit smoking, which I am still working on."

"I have made lots of resolutions in my time including: to lose weight, to be nicer to people, to be a better person, to quit smoking...the list is endless mostly because I am in a constant state of self evaluation. I HAVE lost weight and I have quit smoking so I haven't done too badly. And none of those resolutions were made on New Year's Eve, by the way."

"Other resolutions of mine have included to give up smoking, give up being a bad boy and to work hard. I have achieved two of those three things."

"Other resolutions have included everything from lose weight, to stick to a budget and most have failed miserably!"

"I have made some really typical resolutions like save money and to go to the gym etc. I have stuck to them, but it takes a lot of motivation."

"To not spend so much money on luxuries I really don't need. Have I stuck to New Year's Resolutions? Yes I have because I could really live without buying Tick Tock biscuits. By the way, chocolate is not a luxury, it's a staple, it's got 3 food groups in it..."

"Last year my resolution was to re-enter gainful employment after a short bout of joblessness and a failed business venture, which I fulfilled in May, and in 1991 I made a resolution to stop biting my nails, which I had done since I was 7 years old. I have not bitten a single nail since!"

Finally, we asked people if they actually believed in New Year's Resolutions?

Most candidates laughingly admitted that NO they didn't believe in them, some even going on to say that they thought the whole New Year's Eve Resolutions thing was a complete farce! However, all agreed that any day is a good day to make a fresh start, turn over a new leaf, or give up a naughty habit.

So if you have made your own resolution this New Years, we wish you all the very best of luck in keeping to it. And if you can't, then try not to be too hard on yourself - change can be attempted at any time, you just need to believe you can do it.

Or of course, there is always next year.

- Annemarie Failla & Michelle Palmer

Also see article on Natural Quit Smoking Remedies