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New Year's Resolutions

By John Dietz - Email Editor

Date : Dec 27, 2005

Well, the New Year is upon us, and with this yearly event comes traditions of throwing out the old and bringing in the new, a kind of cleaning out the closet, as it were.

A Little History
The tradition of New Year's resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C.E. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. The Romans also began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve, by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god, Janus, became a more common New Year's gift. The real place of Janus in Roman culture comes in the form of resolutions. The Romans looked at Janus as a symbol of new beginnings and a time to ask for forgiveness from their enemies.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1st, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere even today. The New Year begins on January 1st only for cultures using a 365-day solar calendar. In the year 46 B.C.E., January 1st became the beginning of the New Year when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that more accurately reflected the seasons than previous calendars had. Most historians believe that January 1st was arbitrary and had no real significance.

Back To The Point
Traditions seem to point us toward some sort of resolution. Some of us resolve to not make any, but for the most part, we all plan on an adjustment or two. Last year’s top ten list was pretty much what you would expect: lose weight, stop smoking, the usual suspects.

While there seems to be no real accurate numbers on how many people stick by their New Year's resolutions, if history is any indication, I would say it does not bode well for most of us. In fact, many well known fitness centers could not handle their member base if everyone showed up to work out that bought a new membership. A good friend in the spa business once told me that after 6 weeks into the New Year a full 85 percent of new sign-ups will never come back.

So What Should The Plan Be?
For me it’s a good time for assessment. I think this is the key. I’m not sure the resolution part is as important. Knowing where you are may be more important than where you want to be. When you look at any road map, or mall map, or any map for that matter, the first thing we all look for is the YOU ARE HERE sticker with the big, red arrow. A full honest assessment will give perspective and enlightenment. Health, wealth, happiness and Asset Protection will all come into focus.

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