Should we bother with New Year’s resolutions?

Despite studies showing that 80 per cent of resolutions are broken, we keep making them. [iStockphoto]

When, exactly, humans started making new year’s resolutions is unclear. The practice started off in religious roots, but is mostly non-religious today. Some sources say that ancient Babylonians were the first to make them, 4,000 years ago.

During a festival to welcome the new year, they would make promises to the gods that they would repay or return what they owed. These promises were, however, not given the title ‘New Year ‘s Resolutions, but the premise is similar.