NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Apparently, New Year's Resolutions date back to about 4000 years ago, when the ancient Babylonians used to make various promises to their gods for the sole purpose of making sure they would bestow their grace on them throughout the course of the following twelve months.

Whether they made these promises to the gods because they actually meant what they said or because they simply thought that the gods were keen on hearing them is a whole other issue.

The Romans also debuted each year by making similar promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. The knights in medieval times would reaffirm their commitment to chivalry towards the end of each year.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

At watch night services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions

All in all, the idea of promising to do this or do that at the end of each year is nothing new. The only thing that has changed is that, rather than making promises to gods, we make promises to ourselves.

If you are making your list of New Year’s resolutions, consider putting a plan in place that would allow them to stay in existence throughout the year. Think about what strategies you're going to use, how you are going to monitor them and how you are going to keep yourself on track.

Choosing something that you're motivated to work towards is a big thing. Be aware that we're much more likely to succeed in something if it is really important to us.