In a previous post, I noted that in recent years, resolutions to strengthen one’s character, to be more "religious," or to focus on spiritual growth all but disappeared in the 21st century. This was confirmed by a YouGov survey conducted in Canada in 2019. 

In 2022, a poll indicated that just over 14% of Canadians said they didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions at all. Of those who did make resolutions, 22.3% of Canadians were going to focus on their financial goals like saving money, investing, budgeting and/or paying off debt in the new year. Others said they planned to advance their careers (6.6%), improve their relationships (5.3%), travel (4.9%), learn new skills (3.9%), break bad habits (3.7%) and work on spiritual growth (2.9%).

A new survey from Forbes Health/OnePoll of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in October, 2023 looked at Americans’ attitudes surrounding resolution setting and what types of goals were prioritized.

Interestingly, this survey highlighted that the New Year’s resolution for 2024 most commonly selected was fitness, which contrasts with findings from the previous year. The previous survey in 2022 showed that many people were prioritizing their mental health, rather than their physical health, in their resolutions for 2023.

Of those who responded to the survey, 62% said they felt pressured to set a New Year's resolution, with women (64%) feeling slightly more pressured than men (60%).

Of those setting goals for 2024, 45.5% reported having as many as three goals.

If you're one of those who set ambitious goals for the new year only to lose motivation a few months (or weeks) down the line, you're not alone.

The Forbes Health/One Poll survey found that the average resolution lasts just 3.74 months.

According to an Ipsos study, 78% of Canadians reported that they failed to keep all or part of their past resolutions. Just two in ten Canadians (22%) had managed to keep all their resolutions in the past.

Imagine Meg, a busy Christian mom of five young and adolescent children, whom you saw last at a New Year's Eve party. You recall that she enthusiastically shared with you a resolution to deepen her involvement in community outreach through her church. Fast forward to June, and you meet her in an elevator. 

You: Hey Meg, how's it going? The last time we talked was at the New Year's Eve party at your place. I remember you really wanted to get more involved in community outreach with your church. I was excited for you, listening to you share your New Year's resolution."

Meg: "Hey! Oh, you know how it goes, busy as ever! So, about that community outreach resolution... well, it's been a bit of a challenge. With the kids' school activities, church events, and just the day-to-day chaos, finding time has been tough. I did manage to volunteer at a couple of events, but it's not as consistent as I hoped. Life just gets in the way sometimes, you know? I'm still trying, though. Maybe when the kids are a bit older, it'll be easier."

You: "That's too bad. I remember you were so excited and you had read some books about prioritizing your goals and aligning them with your core values. I'm curious why that didn't work for you?"

Meg: "Yeah, I remember that New Year's enthusiasm. You know, life just kind of took over. It's hard to stick to the plan when unexpected things pop up all the time. The kids had more activities than I anticipated, my husband's work got busier and, well, it's just a small business with a few employees, but I do the office work, I order supplies, do the invoicing and billing, the payroll and accounts and bookkeeping... and, to be honest, some days I'm just too tired to do much else. I did feel really guilty the other day when the outreach ministry team put out a call for help, and I really felt I had to say yes... but it's like there's always something demanding my attention. We had a sermon the other day about giving more, and I feel like I need to pick up a few more shifts in the hospital. I only work very part-time, but life with five kids is unpredictable, and balancing everything can be a real juggling act."

New Year's resolutions are not a new tradition. The earliest recorded New Year's resolutions were made by the ancient Babylonians around 4,000 years ago. They celebrated the New Year with a 12-day festival called Akitu around 2000 B.C. This festival marked the beginning of the farming season and involved crowning the king and making promises to pay debts, and making promises to the gods in hopes of receiving good fortune in the coming year. One common resolution among the Babylonians was to return borrowed farm equipment. Their New Year began in mid-March, the start of the farming season, so this resolution was important in an agriculturally-based society. They could incur the favour of the gods if they kept their promises.

The Romans adopted the New Year tradition but changed the timing to January, with the new Julian calendar being initiated in 46 B.C. January was named for the two-faced god Janus, who looked forward to new beginnings as well as backward for reflection and resolution. The Romans gave sacrifices to Janus and made promises of new beginnings and better behaviour in the year ahead.

In the Middle Ages, in Medieval Europe, the practice of making resolutions found its way into Christianity, and the promises at the start of the year took on a moral and religious tone. People pledged to lead better lives, develop stronger moral character or work ethic, and exercise more restraint in the face of earthly temptations. 

In contemporary times, the tradition continues in both secular and Christian practices. There has, however, been a shift to making resolutions around self-improvement with regard to personal habits, health and lifestyle changes. 

According to research done by Isidor Thorner, New Year's resolutions stem from the Protestant tradition of lifelong emotional discipline. Adherents of Ascetic Protestantism, while emphasizing hard work and denial of worldly pleasure and earthly indulgence, believed that material wealth and worldly success were signs of spiritual uprightness and God's favour. 

New Year’s resolutions as a Christian practice might have originated from Watch Night New Year's Eve services popularized by the Methodist church in England in the 18th century at the time of John Wesley. The Methodist churches were strongly influenced by the Moravian Church and Radical Pietism in general. In the Moravian Church, congregations observe a three-hour watchnight service on New Year's Eve, which is preceded by the celebration of the lovefeast, dating back to at least 1733.

The Watch Night services were a way to ring in the New Year in a more spiritual, contemplative way, as opposed to raucous, all-night partying and "revelling." Watchnight services (also called Watchnight Mass) are late-night Christian church services that have become common in many Christian denominations. 

The services were an opportunity for reflection on the past year and also became opportunities for spiritual resolutions of self-improvement for the coming year. It's interesting to note that only English-speaking, Protestant countries like Australia, England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and South Africa have a strong tradition of making New Year’s Resolutions.

Fast forward to contemporary times: it used to be that people dedicated their lives to their conception of God, but now it's more common to make New Year's resolutions to lose weight and exercise regularly.

Looking back at past New Year's resolutions, it seems that Americans' top resolutions used to have a more "spiritual" quality than they do now. (Almendrala)

Resolutions For 1947 - Gallup Poll

1. Improve my disposition, be more understanding, control my temper
2. Improve my character, live a better life
3. Stop smoking, smoke less
4. Save more money
5. Stop drinking, drink less
6. Be more religious, go to church oftener
7. Be more efficient, do a better job
8. Take better care of my health
9. Take greater part in home life
10. Lose (or gain) weight

"The typically Protestant character of these resolutions is self-evident," says Thorner. (Cited by Almendrala, A., 2017)

Note that in 1947, some people actually resolved to gain weight. Compare the 1947 list to University of Scranton’s list for 2014, in which weight loss shoots to the top, and resolutions to strengthen one’s character or be more religious all but disappear.

We can see a shift in the nature of the resolutions in the 21st century, where they seem less "spiritual". 

Resolutions For 2014

1. Lose weight
2. Getting organized
3. Spend less, save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Stay fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Help others in their dreams
9. Fall in love
10. Spend more time with family                             

Sociologists suggest that people prioritize weight loss over other meaningful resolutions because it is associated with social status, moral virtue, and financial wealth. People diet for reasons like looking better, dealing with stigma, feeling normal, or making their children proud, rather than prioritizing health.

Having a slim and toned physique is often associated with high social status, as it requires significant investments in personal chefs, trainers, and gym memberships. This is why weight loss is a common New Year's resolution. However, some argue that modern priorities are sad and selfish, when, for example, they prioritize weight loss over more meaningful resolutions like give more to charity or being more involved in social causes and helping the needy, or being a better friend or parent.

However, medical sociologist Natalie Boero has argued that weight is actually tied up with all sorts of moral and spiritual issues in today's society. A trim figure is seen as a sign of goodness, responsibility, and self-discipline, which is not that far from how the New Year's resolution began in America. Dieting or physical transformation is often part of New Year's resolutions, and since the mid-twentieth century, weight and health have been associated with moral virtue.

According to medical sociologist Natalie Boero, when people are asked why they diet, health is usually not their top priority. Dieting is often about looking better, dealing with stigma, feeling normal, considering oneself dateable, or making their children proud.

Boero might be on to something there, says the writer of the Huffington Post:

"Given America’s increasing secularization, weight loss could, at least subconsciously, be a proxy for character building or the improvement of one's "disposition" as a way to signal spiritual rectitude and morality."   ~Anna Almendrala, Huffington Post

So maybe we haven't entirely lost the legacy of our Protestant history, when resolutions were tied to developing a stronger moral character and more restraint in the face of earthly pleasures.