The custom of New Year resolutions originated with early Babylonians who took the beginning of a New Year as a resolve to return borrowed farm equipments and buy new ones for themselves. When the year starts, we are refreshed after long holidays and vacations and being energetic and rejuvenated, we feel ready to glide over all the stresses and work loads of the coming year easily and make big promises to ourselves. We plan goals that we will try to achieve during the year whether it is to lose weight or quit smoking.

New Year Resolutions are nothing but short-term annual goals that help us to improve and break out of bad habits. However, most people forget about it the very next day and get on with their jobs and lives as usual. Mark Twain had very aptly commented, 'Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever.' Here are some tips that you can keep in mind while making your list of New Year Resolutions, so that you actually keep them:

• Give yourself a prize or a gift whenever you complete a New Year Resolution so that you are encouraged to fulfill others too.

• Keep only one or few resolutions that you can actually follow. Too many resolutions will discourage you from approaching the list.

• Tell someone close about your resolutions so he or she can shake you up a little whenever you are losing your track.

Article Source:
• New Year Resolution Journal