Yet again, it’s time for resolutions! Oh, my—I could write a book. I have vowed to lose weight for years. I have lost 1,200 pounds and gained 1,205, so that’ a net gain of 5 over the last 40 years! I thought about resolving to get organized, but then I would have to remember where I put everything. So maybe that’s not the best of pursuits at this point.
Where do New Year’s resolutions originate? Well, I wrote a bit about this last year, and what I found is quite fascinating! This tradition runs back thousands of years, but of course, it has evolved over time.
The ancient Babylonians are believed to be the first group to make New Year’s resolutions. To start the New Year, which began not in January but March, they held a 12-day religious festival during which they reaffirmed their loyalty to the king.
Then, in ancient Rome, Julius Caesar tampered with the calendar and dubbed January 1 as the start of a new year. During this time, the Romans made promises of good conduct for the coming year.
Fast forward to 1740—clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service, most commonly held on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
Contrary to this tradition’s religious roots, resolutions today are ambitions of self-improvement. According to research, only 8 percent of goals made at the New Year are met! But hey, I still think it’s worth the effort!
Now that we’ve had a little history lesson, here are my 2019 resolutions:
- I want to do something that I really enjoy every day! Needlework, quilting, sewing, or embroidery, even if it is just a few stitches a day!
- I also want to learn to cook new things! I love being in the kitchen, and I never want to stop learning.
Tell me, what are your New Year’s resolutions?
Comments 19
Bonjour
Cooking more dinners for two, and healthy ones too! Trying out new recipes and also baking too. Love to cook in the kitchen and happy to have a husband with a great appetite.
More time in Bible study and cherishing all my friendships corresponding with those far away. Working on a book that I’ve started and being active in my social organization.
Thanking the dear Lord for my life and my part time job meeting with lots of different
people.
Happy resolutions to all….
California Carmel
My resolutions are about attitude. I chose to guide my way in 2019 with three G’s- Gratitude. Generosity. Graciousness.
Thats Great. Thank you for sharing with us.
I love your first one, to do something you really enjoy every day, in the form of needlework, sewing, embroidery. Those are things I love and look at the chance to do them as a reward, for having done my work. But, alas, work is never really finished. So, I think I would like to revisit that goal and do it even without finishing my work. Also, and something I think might help me to reach that goal, is to spend less time on reading things on the internet!
I found that my needlework and sewing have been overshadowed and I love my creative time. I do hope in 2019 I can finish some projects
!!!
I intend to learn how to bake and sew. I have started to learn Latin and brush up on my Italian.
Marilyn
My resolution is to clean out my bedroom closet and declutter the house. I also want to continue searching my genealogy. Wishing you and happy,healthy New Year.
Joan
I would like to get back to practicing my violin and learn the guitar and clarinet. I also want to fix my books neatly and catalog them. Have a blessed 2019.
Marion
I don’t make too many resolutions for the new year. I do want to get back to my healthy eating. Most of all I want to help others that are in need. I want to be a better person. It seems I’m always trying to clean out the things I do not need but never finished. Happy New Year.
My resolution is to spend more time with friends. To start the year off right I’m sending out invitations today to an afternoon tea, Will be using my Tea Time magazines for inspiration. Thank you for inspiring me to relish the good times and the people I love.
So instead of making resolutions , which I haven’t ever kept, I have made peace with myself, given up control to JESUS and accept what I can’t change. In my quest to take down the CHRISTMAS decorations, my husband and I have cleaned and throw away a truck load of junk and are taking some things to the Salvation Army. Wow, I have room to store the decoration and they will be organized. Thats a very good start to the new year! Hope 2019 will be a year of many blessings to you and yours.
My word for the year is peace/peaceful. I will be working to find more internal peace. I can’t always control the world around me, but I can control how I react. Happy New Year!
Play more golf. Nine holes and lunch with a friend is the quintessential activity.
Expand the time I volunteer at the retirement home teaching card making.
Have at least four tea parties during the year, and invite different friends to each.
Exercise more
Cherish my family and friends for I am blessed with both.
My goal is to attend a Southern Lady Conference!!!!!!!
That would cover 2019 for me and I know many other ladies who have such fond memories of your former conferences.
You can say that I stay consistent in my goal, as per all my requests from all my former comments.
Blessings for a WONDERFUL 2019.
Wanda
We need to get the Southern Lady Weekend on the calendar. I will announce here so we can get our plans made together!!
Like everyone else on the planet, I plan to declutter and organize! I only wish I hadn’t collected such nice things over the years–it would be so much easier to let go of junk!
As I reflect on the entertaining we did over this season, and the menus I prepared, I would love if you would share a couple of your go-to, foolproof menus that you especially like. I have a baked Mediterranean shrimp dish I love that is easy, most people seem to love, and doesn’t require too much attention that keeps me away from my guests. We love entertaining, but it would be great to simplify a bit!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
I too have made the same resolutions, though I call them goals, over and over… drop weight, downsize the amount of stuff around the house, get out more, make new friends, etc etc.
Instead of repeating all that, this year I’m going to come up with one word that encompasses all I want to achieve, and use that as my guiding star for the year. I’ll still work on all those other things, too but with the attitude of how they fit into my word.
Happy New Year!!
The opposite extreme of resolutions is complacency. It’s always good to at least try to do better.
Your weight loss equation made me laugh. I say I’ve lost 5 pounds but I keep finding them over and over again. OTOH, even if the scale creeps up, at least the efforts at self control keep the scale from skyrocketing upward.