Are New Year's resolutions helpful? Every January 1 scores of people make resolutions. Few keep them. (more) New Year’s Resolutions Are New Year’s Resolutions Helpful? (Quick Take) Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: Table Of Contents Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/procon/New-Years-resolutions-debate Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written and fact-checked by Written and fact-checked by The Editors of ProCon ProCon's editors write and verify new content and update existing content. ProCon presents the pro and con arguments to debatable issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way. The Editors of ProCon Last updated Oct. 24, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Every January 1, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions—to go to the gym, eat healthier, stop smoking, spend more time with family, save money, or do something else deemed virtuous and worthy of attention. As the joke goes, those resolutions are often left on the curb with spent holiday decor by mid-January.

　　Early evidence of New Year’s resolutions has been found on tablets inscribed some 2,600 years ago in Babylon in which kings offer a “negative confession” during the spring Akitu festival. According to biblical scholar Walter Harrelson, that celebration “mark[ed] the rebirth of nature, the reestablishment of the kingship by divine authority, and the securing of the life and destiny of the people for the coming year.” A negative confession is generally a list of sins one has not committed that can also function as a pledge to continue avoiding those sins. [1][2][3]

　　Sam Mirelman, a professor of Mesopotamian studies at the University of Geneva, offers the following translation of the negative confession given by kings of Babylonia:

　　[I did not s]in, Lord of the Lands. I was not neglectful of your divinity. [I did not des]troy Babylon, I have not commanded its dispersal, I did not make Esaĝil tremble, I did not treat its rites with contempt, I did not strike the cheek of the kidinnu citizens, I did not humiliate them, I did [not]…to Babylon, I did not destroy its outer walls. [2]

　　In confessing that he has not committed such sins, a king is also promising not to commit them in the coming year. The Babylonian New Year’s celebrations took place at the time of the first new moon after the vernal (spring) equinox (about what is now March). By 45 bce, with the creation of the Julian calendar, the Romans had officially moved New Year’s celebrations to January 1. According to Candida Moss, a historian at the University of Birmingham in England, the Romans added practical “traditions focused on starting the year on the right foot: cleaning homes, stocking the pantry, paying off debts, and returning borrowed items.” [2][3][4][5]

　　Throughout the centuries the idea of making pledges for the new year filtered through various cultures and religions, and it eventually arrived in colonial America with the Puritans, who had “a desire to avoid debauchery and reflect on the passing and coming years,” says Moss. “This period marked the emergence of resolutions in a modern sense.” By the 19th century, New Year’s resolutions had become the secular practice we know today. [3]

　　What follows is a ProCon Quick Take debate, an abbreviated form of our longer features. ProCon may expand on this debate in the future.

　　Pros and Cons at a Glance

PROS	CONS
Pro 1: New Year’s is a natural time for self-reflection, a fresh start, and self-improvement. Read More.	Con 1: There is nothing magical about January; we should change habits throughout the year, whenever the time is right. Read More.
Pro 2: New Year’s resolutions are often shared and pursued with others, building a sense of community and a support system for success. Read More.	Con 2: New Year’s resolutions are unhelpful, because they overwhelmingly fail. Read More.
Pro 3: New Year’s resolutions can spark real change in our lives through attainable goals and action plans. Read More.	Con 3: New Year’s resolutions are often unrealistic goals that end up harming, not helping, our physical and mental health. Read More.

Pro Arguments (Go to Con Arguments) Pro 1: New Year’s is a natural time for self-reflection, a fresh start, and self-improvement. Much like a landmark birthday or the beginning of a school year, a new year is a temporal marker indicating a fresh start. It’s the perfect time to give ourselves grace and the opportunity to begin anew with a clean slate, which promotes confidence, self-reflection, and a greater sense of purpose. [6]

　　“Resolutions serve as a roadmap,” says behavioral scientist Ivo Vlaev. They are symbols of hope and progress, “offering structure and clarity for the year ahead. By focusing on what matters most, individuals can channel their energy into intentional and productive living.” [16]

　　The fresh start effect motivates individuals to pursue aspirational goals immediately after a big landmark, such as at the start of a new year. These moments are natural opportunities for positive changes, and aligning with a time frame can help in working toward goals. Research on the fresh start effect show[s] that creating these new mental periods of time helps individuals to put past periods of imperfections behind them and can help motivate aspirational behaviors that make [individuals] more likely to stick to those goals than ones that were made with no mental benchmarks. [6]

　　While “New year, new you” may be too overreaching and trite, “New year, new habits” is a natural fit.

　　Pro 2: New Year’s resolutions are often shared and pursued with others, building a sense of community and a support system for success. “Popular resolutions can bond people together,” argues writer Daniel Ahern. “When people have trusted people who share their goals to guide them along the way, success may become more likely.” [7]

　　Writing for health care company Kaiser Permanente, journalist Melanie Haiken agrees:

　　There’s a reason announcing your New Year’s resolution has been shown to help people stick to goals: Those who do so get support. When our friends, family, and significant others understand that we’re really serious about making a change, they’ll get on board.…It also helps enormously to have a partner sharing your goal. [8]

　　According to behavioral scientist Ivo Vlaev, “The influence of others can significantly impact your success. Surround yourself with individuals who share your goals or actively support your efforts. Tip: Join a group or involve friends in your journey, such as workout partners or online accountability groups.” [16]

　　Pro 3: New Year’s resolutions can spark real change in our lives through attainable goals and action plans. Although a lot of New Year’s resolutions are too general and merely aspirational (“Get more sleep”), they don’t have to be. They can be specific, attainable, life-changing action plans. [9]

　　I recommend that the resolution not be a goal. Figure out what the goal is. Then set the resolution as a specific action plan that’s realistic. For example, I want to be getting eight hours of sleep a night. How am I going to do that tomorrow? Next week? What does that actually look like? [9]

　　In other words, instead of setting a goal to “exercise more this year” or to “spend more time with family”—generalities that are hardly useful or inspiring—setting a goal to “work out for 30 minutes each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday” or to “institute a family movie night each week” can actually inspire concrete change in our lives. [9]

　　Resolutions set with intent and forethought are excellent ways to achieve goals and effect real change.

　　Con Arguments (Go to Pro Arguments) Con 1: There is nothing magical about January; we should change habits throughout the year, whenever the time is right. As journalist Andrea Karim points out, if we were to pick a day to revolutionize our lives, January 1—especially if we’ve celebrated New Year’s Eve the night before—would be the worst day to begin the change:

　　It’s the day we wake up,…still sleepy, and have to drag ourselves to the coffee machine.…Freshly hydrated, we blink into the cold, uncaring eye of a January morning and try to convince ourselves that today is the day to stop smoking. [10]

　　Here’s the thing about making a significant lifestyle change—either you are ready to do it right now, or you aren’t. January 1st isn’t going to roll around and make it any easier to start going for a daily run. If you can’t make smart choices before January 1st, then the chances of beginning a sustainable change on January 1st [are] slim. [10]

　　Life doesn’t change just because the date or year on the calendar has changed. We should make changes and improvements throughout the year, whenever possible and needed. [11]

　　According to a Forbes Health/OnePoll survey conducted in October 2023, some 62 percent of respondents said that

　　they feel pressured to set a New Year’s resolution. In addition, many respondents are planning on setting multiple goals, with 66.5% stating they plan on making three or more resolutions for the year ahead. [12]

　　Despite these good intentions, New Year’s resolutions have a 94 percent failure rate by the end of February, according to research by behavioral scientist Michelle Rozen. [13]

　　Heavy on big ideas, New Year’s resolutions often don’t include the minutiae of how to actually achieve them. Spending more time with family, for example, is a frequent resolution. But how that happens is much more complicated than a simple declaration of intent. And, when plans go awry or are never made to actually spend more time with family, the resolution is often abandoned until the next New Year. [13][14]

　　“That 94% rate doesn’t surprise me, because people often make resolutions without a clear plan for how they will be accomplished,” notes former counselor Barb Lesniak. [14]

　　Con 3: New Year’s resolutions are often unrealistic goals that end up harming, not helping, our physical and mental health. The annual push for a “new year, new (thinner) you” can have negative impacts on our health as well. Physically, we know that yo-yo dieting can cause damage to our metabolism and cardiovascular system. And psychologically, it can be harmful to self-esteem and put us at higher risk for disordered eating, anxiety, and depression. [15]

　　These goals tend to spur procrastination and perfectionism, as well as the idea that we are “lazy” if we fail. Consequently, says Sullivan-Tuba, “we double down on the pressure we’re putting on ourselves,” which in turn “can create a vicious cycle of avoidance, shame, and self-blame that can derail our good intentions.” [15]

　　In the end, instead of resulting in a healthier new year, the New Year’s resolutions have merely exacerbated our physical and mental health problems.

　　Discussion Questions Is making New Year’s resolutions helpful? Why or why not?Do you make New Year’s resolutions? If yes, what kinds of resolutions, and do you keep them? If no, why not?Consider how you set goals for yourself throughout the year. How could that experience with goal-setting improve your chances of success with New Year’s resolutions? SourcesWalter Harrelson, “Worship: Times and Places of Worship” (June 27, 2007), britannica.comSam Mirelman, “Lament and Ritual Weeping in the ‘Negative Confession’ of the Babylonian Akītu Festival,” Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, 21:42–74 (2021)Emily Laurence, “New Year’s Resolutions Aren’t a Fad—They Have Endured for Thousands of Years” (December 27, 2024), nationalgeographic.comErin Blakemore, “The New Year Once Started in March—Here’s Why” (February 28, 2023), nationalgeographic.comChad de Guzman, “Who Decided January 1st Is the New Year?” (December 29, 2023), time.comPAR, Inc., “The Psychology Behind New Year’s Resolutions” (January 2, 2024), parinc.comDaniel Ahern, “The Pros and Cons of New Year’s Resolutions” (February 19, 2023), medium.comMelanie Haiken, “7 Tricks for Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions” (accessed October 20, 2025), georgia.kaiserpermanente.orgDolores Tropiano, “ASU Professor Shares the Science Behind Making Successful New Year’s Resolutions” (January 3, 2025), news.asu.eduAndrea Karim, “Why Your Big New Year’s Resolutions Are Pointless” (accessed October 20, 2025), wisebread.com Sophie S., “Why I’m Not Setting Any New Years Resolutions This Year” (December 28, 2024), medium.comCynthia Vinney, “The Psychology Behind Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail” (September 11, 2025), verywellmind.comBryan Robinson, “5 Steps for the 94% Who Abandon Their New Year’s Resolutions” (January 3, 2024), forbes.comMars Girolimon, “What Are New Year’s Resolutions and Do They Work?” (January 2, 2025), snhu.eduMegan Sullivan-Tuba, “The Pros and Cons of Setting New Years Resolutions” (December 31, 2022), stellanovapsych.comIvo Vlaev, “Why New Year’s Resolutions Matter: The Psychology Behind the Tradition” (December 31, 2024), bppblog.com