Have you ever wondered how New Year’s resolutions came to be? Ala, siapa yang start new year’s resolution ni? Where did it originate? Well, since New Year’s nak dekat dah, let us share with you sikit history on this annual trend!
It turns out New Year’s resolutions started over 4,000 years ago…
The first recorded celebrations honoring the new year were also said to be held by ancient Babylonians. Now that’s fascinating, kan?
Tapi kenapa it was started sebenarnya? Apparently the ancient Babylonians started it as a means to gain favours from the Gods, and to be free from the debts they’ve accumulated. Wow, interesting kan?
But this ritual wasn’t exclusive to Babylonians. It’s worth noting that ancient Romans upheld something similar too. They actually gave special significance to the month of January by offering sacrifices to Gods, and promises of good behaviour untuk tahun baru.
Why yes! Setting New Year’s resolutions ada benefits dia
For starters, the act of thinking of New Year’s resolutions allow us to reflect on the past, present, and future. Think about it! Kita duduk, and think about what has worked out for us throughout the years, and ponder what might need further tinkering. Honestly, it’s truly a humbling moment to self-reflect or muhasabah diri.
If you’re aiming to be a goal-getter, then New Year’s resolutions let you practice the art of goal-setting. Ini sangat penting sebab we all need a sense of direction in life – regardless if it’s a general goal or a more specific goal. After all, it’s only when we have a clear goal in mind that we know how to navigate through life, and progress forward.
And finally, New Year’s resolutions can boost your self-esteem, and help us feel (more) empowered. Ok, maksud kita is: contoh you give yourself a small goal to achieve, macam to be more active at least a few times a week. And let’s say you achieved this goal. You’d feel great, accomplished, and successful, kan? Before you know it, you’ll find yourself feeling confident, and motivated to achieve the remainder of your New Year’s resolutions. And with that said…
Your goals should be realistic, and healthy lah tau.
Ok, ok. We know it’s easy to get caught up in optimism, and good intentions when jotting down your New Year’s resolutions. In fact, you’d most likely feel confident in achieving the goals in the heat of the moment or when you’re on an emotional high from the new year approaching, betul tak?
We totally get that! It’s perfectly understandable.
This confidence, and euphoria can last anywhere between days to months – well, it varies from person to person lah. Nevertheless, euphoria gradually diminishes over time. But, why is this fact important? Hold that thought!
So, chances are, the majority of us probably feel like we know what healthy and realistic New Year’s resolutions are. Oh, you know, like staying healthy, exercising more, keeping fit, eating healthier, spending more time with loved ones, being more productive at work, and reading or more. While these are indeed healthy, realistic resolutions, what matters the most, however, bagi kita lah, is to get specific, and realistic with it.
Jom take health for example.
It’s an all-too-common resolution that countless people make. So, let’s say you’ve decided you want to be healthier, and you want to exercise more: let’s take it up a notch, and be more specific with your goals.
- How often are you planning to exercise in a week?
- What are the reasons, or motivations for doing so?
- Are you willing to incorporate working out into your current daily routine?
- How much are you willing to change your daily routine to accommodate doing so if needed?
Now, remember we mentioned the waves of euphoria eventually calms down? When you outline your New Year’s resolution based solely on your emotions, especially in the heat of the moment, we might potentially lose interest, and lose sight of the end goal. But, by being more specific, and detailed with your goals, the chances of success are higher.
Speaking of motivation…
Now that we’ve covered the basics of New Year’s resolutions, let’s delve into ways to stay motivated to achieve your goals!
Be honest, how many of you have called a “reset” at the beginning of every new month until we completely forget about your goals? Jangan risau, you’re not alone.
We all know that New Year resolutions are notoriously hard to maintain – and for those who’ve succeeded before, kudos to you. Forbes put it excellently when they said that managing our choices, and maintaining our resolutions is a combination of personal discipline, willpower, perseverance, and self-control.
Dengar tu?
Motivation is important, but it’s also fleeting. So, it’s things like discipline that ultimately matters when it comes to making your resolutions a reality. As a matter of fact, it’s been found that self-control coupled with deliberate action, and the ability to endure discomfort, among other things, are vital.
Ok, we didn’t need to spell it out for you, but it still proves a point, kan? It’s crucial to hone these traits! So, ask yourself: how badly do you want something? In fact, if having a visual board can help you keep the big picture in mind, then by all means, go for it!
But hey! Don’t pressure yourself, ok? Baby steps are what’s most important!
Keep the momentum with an incremental approach. You can keep track of your progress by journaling, vlogging – find what works for you.
It’s important to reward yourself too! As long as it doesn’t detract you from what you’ve been working on achieving, that is.
Now, it’s important to ingat that goals, and progress can look different to different people. It’s totally normal! Lain orang, lain pendapat, lain interests kan. Jadi, take time to think about what YOU want to achieve, and not let the opinions of others have any influence.
It looks like we’ve reached the end of this article. (Finally!)
But, before we say our goodbyes, here’s a final reminder: New Year’s resolutions whatever it may be, can be fun with minimal pressure. And if you slip up, and don’t succeed, it’s not the end.The important thing is that you tried. You put yourself out there, you gave yourself a chance, and you most definitely can do it again!
We hope our article has been helpful in your endeavour to draft your 2023 New Year’s resolutions. And as you get cracking, do stay kind to yourself, and to others.
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Disclaimer: Our content is strictly for educational and informational purposes only. Healthlah.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
