New Years resolution

New Years Resolution (Maya Ferrari/The Puma Prensa)

Written By: Maya Ferrari, Opinion Editor

“I am going to workout everyday.”

“I am going to study for two hours before every test.”

Let’s face it, we all give ourselves pretty unrealistic resolutions going into the new year. Most of us make one up spontaneously, one that usually connects to a hope we have for our actions in the future year. However, most people don't really know where this tradition comes from. 

For a brief summary of the history of resolutions, they were first practiced by the ancient Babylonians. One major difference between the modern resolutions, and the ones that the Babylonians created, is that they would state their “promises” in mid-March. This was simply because that is when they would plant new crops. The word promises is much more similar to the practices that they would do around four thousand years ago. They would vow to the gods to return anything borrowed, and to pay all their debts. Although this sounds pretty different from our modern resolutions surrounding health and glow-up goals, it has the same backbone. Both of them symbolize a shift in lifestyle surrounding a new year.

Most people only really think about New Year's resolutions during the holiday season. That is why, for most, they are forgotten and almost never followed through. A study done at Baylor College of Medicine states that about 88% of people fail on their previously set resolution by the end of January. 

Supporting this claim, Ava Larson, senior at Maria Carrillo High School, wanted to “drink less caffeine,” but claimed she had “already failed after less than two weeks.” 

On the other hand, another senior at MCHS Sophie McGarva, who had a 2025 resolution to “reduce [her] screen time” has so far worked out. She states that she has been successful by “finding other hobbies to fill [her] time.”

Overall, most people end up forgetting about or failing to keep up with their New Year's resolutions well before the year comes to an end. In fact, both McGarva, Larson, and other anonymous students didn't even remember their resolutions from the previous year. Even though these resolutions have a very low success rate, the societal tradition remains a light-hearted and hopeful way to begin each year.