It is a well known fact that New Year’s resolutions have always been a consistent part of the holiday. In fact, many are becoming disillusioned by these annual promises, for they tend to fall through upon January’s end. Take the yearly “gym rush” for example; thousands of people pledge to themselves to get more exercise in the brand new year, yet only manage to make it to the gym for the first couple of weeks of January. Those regular patrons of Lifetime Fitness watch condescendingly as the many hopeful gym rats slowly stop returning to the treadmill. Rather than looking upon these ambitious goal-setters with disdain, we should be applauding them for their accomplishments, even if they are meager.

The origins of New Year’s resolutions began with the ancient Babylonians, who promised their gods to return object they borrowed and repay the outstanding debts. Upon achieving these promises, their gods rewarded them with grace and good fortune in the following year. If their promises are broken, however, their gods would bestow them with bad luck and misfortune instead. The incentive to please ominous gods is much stronger than the internal motivation people require to fulfill their resolutions in the modern era. No wonder so many people eventually break their annual promises to themselves – remaining self-motivated is a daunting task when living in the hectic industrial age.

So why should we applaud those who do stick with their resolutions, if only for a short time?  Those who manage to drag themselves to the gym or to force themselves to order salad next time they’re out to eat have something that many do not: willpower. Those who pledge to make a healthy change in their life, whether that be a regular part of your routine, are pushing themselves to act against what comes easily. Beginning a new habit takes strength of the mind and body, and without an outside motivator such as a promise of a year of grace from the gods, it is incredibly difficult to remain driven. So in 2016, congratulate your caffeine-addicted mother for restricting herself to one cup of joe per day, or admire those eager people who are crowding your gym, and try to make it your resolution not to scorn them for failing to continue their habits throughout the rest of the year.