AbbyElse 

As 2026 begins, many have written down their hopes for the new year. From simple things like drinking more water or sleeping more, to things like traveling and chasing big career goals, New Year’s resolutions are a way for someone to start the new year on a clean slate and “rebrand” themselves. But when did society accept a personal reinvention every calendar year?

According to History.com, 4,000 years ago the ancient Babylonians would crown a new king each year. The Babylonians would promise to pay off their debts to the king. These promises were the beginning of New Year’s resolutions. If The Babylonians kept their promises, the king would give them gifts in return. 

For years, this tradition has been a staple for many, considering it started thousands of years ago and still crosses the minds of many today. 

At Marian, out of 185 students surveyed, 129 answered yes to having made a New Year’s resolution list for 2026. So, what is it that motivates Marian girls to even make a list in the first place?

A goal for freshman Caroline Pirsch is to not get ice cream at Marian for the entirety of January. “I want to eat less junk food this year so that I can be more healthy and make better choices about what I eat,” she said.

Sophomore Addy Bernal wants to find new hobbies in the new year so that she can become less dependent on her phone. “I made New Year’s resolutions because it always motivates me to be better than I was before, and I think it’s a good way to feel better in general,” she said. 

Senior Reese Eggers made her resolution list because she feels that staying up to date with her goals helps her accomplish them easily. “When I set high goals, I’m more likely to achieve them, or come close,” she said. Eggers hopes to read 45 books by the end of this year. 

On the contrary, many people feel that making a New Year’s resolution list is not the way to go. Out of the 185 girls that responded, 63 girls responded not having made a new year’s list. 

For example, senior Sienna Maiers said that “New Year’s resolutions often feel too broad for me, and I find it easy to make excuses and abandon them after starting.” Maiers said that she finds weekly or monthly goals more attainable for her.

Although many people find it beneficial to write New Year’s resolutions, some people feel that it can be a pressuring task. This could be a reason why people don’t actually follow through with what they write.

According to Pyschologytoday.com, only 8% of the American population follows through with what they wrote in ink at the beginning of the year. The reason behind this is for a variety of reasons. Some people feel overly ambitious about the new year and some people become over-focused on the end-goal other than the process. 

However, according to news.asu.edu, Arizona State University psychology professor, Michelle Shiota, states that New Year’s resolutions can work. She explains that the phrasing of the resolution is what should change. Instead of writing a vague goal, write a more specific goal and create a realistic action plan for how that goal will be accomplished. 

She also referred to a method called the implementation intention. This is where you create things that could interfere with your goal. From there, you find a way to figure out how you will still continue to achieve that goal even if there are minor inconveniences along the way. 

Along with these two examples, she stated that it is important to enjoy the goal or change in behavior. Many people make goals for themselves, but don’t find a way to implement them in a way that accommodates the lifestyle they live. So, she advised that one should make sure they have an idea for how they will make it fun for them to accomplish rather than something that feels like a chore. 

Overall, with the new year starting, many people have made a New Year’s resolution list for themselves and some have not. No matter what side of that you chose, it is important to remember that if you are setting your mind to something in the new year, whenever that is, make sure you have a genuine intent with it and make it enjoyable for yourself.