Why Wait Until the New Year to Do the Right Thing?

New Year’s resolutions are nothing more than a fad, and usually do not work as a method of self-improvement.

Mallory Denis, Co-Managing Editor

December 16, 2025

Fireworks, a common celebration of the new year, erupt in the sky.

In the sweltering heat of July, you notice you’ve been eating one too many sweet treats. “I should probably start a healthier diet,” you muse. “Oh well, I’ll wait until January.” So it’s decided. Your New Year’s resolution? To eat healthier. Good luck remembering, and if you do, good luck maintaining it.

What started in America as an early colonial religious tradition has now morphed into a secular pop culture staple, with 30% of Americans making at least one resolution a year, according to Pew Research. New Year’s resolutions are made worldwide, with people making the vows everywhere from Western countries to countries in Asia, Africa, and South America.

History of New Year’s Resolutions

One of the first civilizations to celebrate the new year was the Babylonians, performing rituals and holding festivals.
The tradition of making a vow of improvement began with the Babylonian king’s “negative confession,” a public commitment to doing better as a ruler.
Babylonians began to make their own vows, often to placate gods, at New Year’s festivals.
The Romans cemented the date of new year’s festivities as Jan. 1. They celebrated by making resolutions to start the year off right, such as by cleaning or paying their debts.
In 18th-century colonial society, churches often held mass at the beginning of the new year, with sermons that emphasized how important it was for one to constantly become a better acolyte of God.
Colonists often pledged in personal diaries to stop sinning.
Throughout the 1900s, New Year’s resolutions became increasingly recognized by the general public as a tradition that could be practiced regardless of religion.
Now, in the modern day, resolutions are a pop culture staple in America: on television, in comics, and beyond.
New Year’s resolutions are made around the world, from England and Australia, to Egypt, Japan, India, and China.

But we know the facts: 64% of New Year’s resolutions are broken within the first two months, and by the end of the year, only 9% of people end up achieving their goals. New Year’s resolutions are turning legitimate goal-setting into a fad, where people only make goals for the sake of making goals.

One of the core problems is that New Year’s resolutions aren’t usually realistic. The most common goals include to save money or eat healthier, with no regard given to how this will be accomplished. As young as elementary school, children are taught to make goals that are “MAD”: Measurable, Attainable and Deadline-based. New Year’s resolutions usually lack all the framework of successful goals; in fact, one study found that 64.6% of resolutions were vague. How much money do you want to save? What foods do you consider healthy? And most of all, what steps are you planning to take to accomplish this goal?

Not to mention the fact that the first day of the new year is a completely arbitrary date. While there is an undeniable psychological effect of the new year that may make it easier to feel motivated to set goals, it is arguably more detrimental to wait for a certain date to make a change, rather than just seizing the day and beginning to work to achieve your aspiration. It’s not a big deal to wait for the new year if you decide you need to make a resolution in December. However, if you realize you want to modify your lifestyle during the summer—or, perish the thought, in spring or even winter—waiting to make this an “official” goal until Jan. 1 helps no one.

My tirade may come across as rather harsh. It might seem like all I am doing is harping on a legitimate vehicle of attempting to grow. “New Year’s resolutions don’t hurt anyone!” Sure, not directly. But is one not hurt by total failure to self-improve? Should we not be striving to meet, not break, our goals? I only accept New Year’s resolutions under two conditions: that one intends to make a serious effort to achieve theirs, and has a plan of what steps they will take to fulfill it.

If you’re unwilling to work within those terms, it’s time to accept the truth: New Year’s resolutions are pointless. If you notice something that needs to be changed in your life, just change it. There’s no benefit to waiting for a random, single day to make a resolution that likely won’t even be kept. And if you do genuinely want to use the first day of the new year as a jumping-off point for personal development, take it seriously.

Donate to Oviedo Journalism

$800

$1500

Contributed

Our Goal

Your donation will support the student journalists of Oviedo High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting and printing costs. Thank you!