Why Do People Make New Year's Resolutions?

When did ringing in the New Year become such a big deal? Turns out, it isn't just a construct of modern Americans. Some 4,000 years ago, Babylonians rang in their new year with an 11-day festival in March, and ancient Egyptians celebrated the advent of their new calendar during the Nile River's annual flood. By 46 B.C., Roman emperor Julius Caesar had moved the first day of the year to Jan. 1 in honor of the Roman god of beginnings, Janus, an idea that took some time to catch on. However, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII brought the Jan. 1 New Year back in vogue with the Gregorian calendar -- a concept that persists today.

The origin of making New Year's resolutions rests with the Babylonians, who reportedly made promises to the gods in hopes they'd earn good favor in the coming year. They often resolved to get out of debt [source: History].

Sounds familiar? Many of us are still making that resolution today. So what's the secret to keeping it? Turns out, simply wanting to change is not enough; you need to make it stick. One way to do this is to share your resolution with others.

"When you keep resolutions a secret, no one is going to check up on you. You're only accountable to yourself," said Joe Ferrari, professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. He noted that a party to publicly share your resolutions is an admirable way to ring in the New Year. Social media offers another avenue to let others in on your goals.

Once you've involved others in your resolutions, what steps can you take to ensure that when they do check up on you, you have something positive to report? Here's some advice from the experts.

The success of your New Year's resolutions starts with your head. Limiting yourself to a few resolutions, maybe even one, and being specific are a few things to keep in mind, said Michael Kitchens, assistant professor of psychology at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. "It's tempting to make a list of 'to-dos,' but that list will easily be overwhelming and you will end up frustrated."

Setting a specific goal can make all the difference, such as "I want to lose 10 pounds by March 1" or "I want to save $50 of each paycheck."

"Set a goal that is challenging, but manageable," said Kitchens. "This is a sensitive balance that really can only be made by each person."

Overly ambitious goals can drain a person's confidence when they're not met, agreed Ferrari. Instead, build on small, observable victories and possibly achieve bigger goals down the line. "Don't try and do everything," he said. "Take things on one at a time."

Whatever goals you do tackle, be sure to monitor your progress. "If your resolution is to lose weight, check your weight regularly. If it's to save money, write down where you've spent your money. Monitoring those few, challenging goals you set will dramatically improve your success rate," Ferrari said. Sometimes, just the act of recording everything you eat or spend can cause you to eat or spend less even if you don't consciously change anything else.

Many resolutions include overcoming bad habits, such as smoking, overeating or too much alcohol consumption. These could be tough because they are easy to rely on when stressed out.

"While these vices are especially difficult to overcome, they can be beaten," said Kitchens. "One of the best ways is to have a social support system." In other words, when you're feeling stressed, call a friend rather than open a bottle of red wine.

Whatever your New Year goals, give yourself some time to make them a reality. More time than you may have planned on, actually. While most people cling to the widespread belief that new habits can be formed in 21 days, research suggests we need a longer timetable. One study found it took participants an average of 66 days to do something different — and stick with it [source: PsyBlog].

The good news? If you take this advice, your new gym membership won't become obsolete until March.