Interesting Facts about New Years Resolutions

Interesting Facts About New Year’s Resolutions

We are already looking ahead to and preparing for ringing in the new year! As we look forward to our New Year celebrations, we may also be making a New Year’s resolution, a tradition that dates back to at least the early 19th century.

Wrinkle and Crease can Help

Before we get into the nitty gritty of it, here at Wrinkle and Crease we believe the best ay to achieve a new goal (or a resolution) is to plan for success and track your progress.  We have two products that will help you achieve just that.  these aren't just functional products, they are also inspirational and beautiful.  Designed with purpose to function, but also look amazing.  

1.  First we have our 2022 Daily Planners.  A daily planner will help you not only organize your events, schedule and tasks it can also help you plan to achieve your 2022 goals.  Our planners come in 3 gorgeous colours and will get you setup for the year. 

2.  The Wrinkle and Crease Habit Tracker.  This is an awesome tool for those of us that need little wins along the way to the big win.  Not only that but you can organize your to do lists, thought processes and your key priorities.  This will help you keep track, and build habits that can accumulate into achieved goals.  

What Is a New Year’s Resolution?

A New Year’s resolution is a tradition that is most common in the Western world. A person will make a resolution for the upcoming year, in which they will devote themself to improving their life through things such as continuing good practices, accomplishing personal goals, and more. 

Fun Facts About New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions have a rich and interesting tradition. Read on to find some fun facts about New Year’s resolutions, and maybe even some inspiration for your own resolution this year!

The Babylonians

Some believe that the tradition of New Year’s resolutions actually began with the Babylonians. 4000 years ago, the Babylonians celebrated their new year with a festival that occurred over the course of 11 days. This took place in March, unlike our celebration on the last night of December. They also made resolutions in the form of promises to their gods in order to curry favor for the coming year. One of the most common promises they made was that they would get out of debt.

The Romans

The Ancient Romans are the ones who we can thank for the start of the new year in winter, after Julius Caesar adjusted the calendar and established January 1st as the beginning of the new year. January was named for the Roman god Janus, who was the god of beginnings, endings, and the new year. All Romans offered their resolutions up to Janus. It was believed that Janus looked backwards into the previous year and then forward into the future. Roman farmers were also supposed to make an “auspicious gesture” on January 1st by starting the tasks and responsibilities they had to accomplish in the new year.

The Protestants

Interestingly, the tradition of making a New Year’s resolution was found to be more common in countries that had a strong Protestant influence. The Protestant values of emotional discipline and a focus on living up to rigorous standards helped to influence the spread of the New Year’s resolution, since these resolutions are geared towards improving one’s self. The resolution tradition then spread to other countries, and as Protestant cultures became more secular, the tradition took on a more cheerful undertone and eventually lost the religious connotation.

Most Common Resolution

You can probably guess what the most common New Year’s resolution is. Most people make the resolution to go to the gym, increase their daily exercise, or lose weight. Since the holiday season leading up to the new year is filled with parties and eating and drinking in excess, it makes sense that many people would want to choose to try to be healthier in the upcoming year. After all, it is front of mind around the holidays!

The Statistics

When it comes to resolutions, it is common knowledge that they do not often come true. Many give up on their resolutions fairly early into the new year; it is seen more as a tradition and less of something to actually stick to. But how early do people typically give up on their resolutions, if they do give up at all?

• 22% of resolutions fail after the first week.
• 40% of resolutions fail after a month.
• 50% of resolutions will fail after the first three months.
• 60% of resolutions fail after six months.

Resolutions Around the World

Just as many other trends and traditions have slightly different takes in other countries, New Year’s resolutions vary in different countries. This could be attributed to the different cultures in these countries and different priorities, for example. A 2013 Google Maps project uncovered some of the most common resolutions in each country. In the US and Egypt, health related resolutions were the top picks. Australia and Japan topped the charts with resolutions looking for love. Russian resolutions usually focused on education, and in India, career goals were #1. 

Achieving Your Resolutions 

Statistics say that about 30% of people don’t bother to make a New Year’s resolution because they know they won’t keep the resolution.

Only about 8% of people do actually keep their resolutions for the year.  Most of them have a plan!

Those that do make a New Year’s resolution are ten times more likely to achieve their goals when they vocalize their plans and ideas.  Those who do not vocalize the goal as a New Year’s resolution, often fail.

Sometimes, putting it out into the world helps.

Ringing in the New Year

When you ring in the new year and make your resolutions, it is commonly recommended that you do so with family and friends. However, this is not simply a friendly recommendation so that you have a more fun New Year’s celebration! It comes from the belief that the people you surround yourself with when coming into the new year will dictate your fortune in that coming year.

The first visitors you see after the new year were said to either bring you good or bad luck for that next year! 

New Year’s Symbolism

In New York City, where the ball drops, the attendees-- as well as visitors to Times Square throughout the year-- write their resolutions and wishes on pieces of Times Square confetti.

When the year ends, the confetti is collected and added to the confetti that rains down on the crowd when the ball drops. In fact, the total amount of confetti used is 1 ton! This is just one of many different ways to implement resolutions into the New Year’s celebration.

In some countries, people wear certain colours or patterns to help get their resolutions out into the world, such as red for love, or polka dots for luck. In other countries, such as the Philippines, they use shapes, such as round shapes to signify coins for prosperity.