NJLAP's Balance ENewsletter

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things."

— John Burroughs

How did this New Year's Resolution stuff get started anyway?
Tracking the timing of regular seasonal changes was important to early agricultural humans; requiring celebrations, ceremonies, and sacrifices. In ancient Egypt, the “opening of the year” was called Wepnet Renpet, and it coincided with the regular flooding of the Nile. The ancient Babylonians observed a 12-day celebration in spring called Akitu to mark the planting of new crops. During this time, they promised to pay back debts and return borrowed goods. Some historians credit this as the first recorded “New Year’s resolutions.” The Romans adopted this timing until Julius Caesar created the 365-day calendar. At the time, calendars were a chaotic mess that was at least a month off and getting worse. Caesar also decreed that January, named for the god Janus, who looks both forward and backward in time, would mark the start of the new year.

By the Middle Ages, the calendar was again off by at least 7 days. Out went the Julian calendar, in came the Gregorian calendar, which is still used today. Knights renewed their vows of chivalry and the end of the year. Soon, whether for religious, cultural, political, or other reasons, the arrival of the New Year in the fallow time between planting and harvest, became a time of thinking about taking the time to “begin anew” projects, habits, and promises.

In 1813 a Boston newspaper, in an article poking fun at the practice, coined the term “New Year’s Resolution.” The idea was cemented in minds and calendars from then on.
Sources:
How Did the Tradition of New Year's Resolutions Start?
The History of New Year's Resolutions and Celebrations

Special considerations for those in recovery
A thoughtful article about “resolutions” and maintaining recovery from the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
Are New Year’s Resolutions Destined to Fail? Here Are Six Lessons

Is there humorous side of resolution-making?
The idea of using humor and laughter to fend off stress isn’t new, so it isn’t surprising that many people have a comical take on resolutions. You can read a list here:
Funny New Year's Resolutions
And if you want to create your own humorous resolution, well, do you remember Mad Libs? Here’s one for you, your family, and friends to do on New Year’s Eve.
New Year MadLibs

Did the Pandemic Actually Improve the Success of New year’s Resolutions?
According to a December 2021 article at cnbc.com, Fidelity Investment conducted a New Year’s Financial Resolutions Study discovered that “81% of respondents who made resolutions say the will be better off financially in 2022, compared to 58% of those who didn’t make resolutions.”

Having to spend less during the pandemic incentived people to keep better track of their money. According to the study, “84% of Americans [said] that after the Covid experience they’ve learned to let go of worrying about that which can’t be controlled.” Along with that was the fac that “the percentage of survey responders who stuck to New Year’s resolutions (71%) in 2021 was significantly higher than the previous year’s level of follow through: 58% in 2020.

Whether this carried through to other popular types of resolutions, such as exercising, losing weight, as well as other personal and professional goals remains to be seen.

What Are Other Lawyers and Law Groups Saying About Making Resolutions?
As always at year end, there are lawyer-specific articles and information about resolutions and goal setting at the beginning of the new year. Below are just a few.

NJLAP wishes you, your family, and friends a happy holiday season, with health, happiness, love, laughter, and success in the new year. If there is something you would like to know more about in 2022, please email us at info@njlap.org

Lawyers Who Launch Podcast
New Year's Resolutions For Lawyers
Best of Intentions
Setting and Keeping Resolutions and Goals
Planning for Productivity in 2022
Preventative Medicine is the Best Kind of Preparing for 2022

Noreen Braman
Communications & Technology Manager
New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program

Year End CLE Program

NJLAP's Associate Director, Nancy Stek and Senior Attorney Counselor, Ray Ortiz, will be presenting Depression and the Practice of Law for ICLE on Thursday, Dec 30, 2021 at 10 AM.

More Information and Registration