New Year, Old Habits: Why It's Easy to Start and Hard to Maintain

The tradition of setting New Year's resolutions has historical roots that trace back to ancient civilizations. For instance, the Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year, committing to return borrowed items and repay their debts. Similarly, in ancient Rome, Emperor Julius Caesar established January 1st as the start of the new year, and Romans offered sacrifices to Janus, the god of beginnings and endings, promising good conduct for the coming year. This practice has evolved over the centuries into the modern ritual of setting personal resolutions every January 1st. However,...