A Whackadoodle New Year's Resolution

Something I must think about as I approach the New Year.

Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash

“Did you say Restitution?” she echoed uncertainly.

“No,” I repeated with emphasis. “I said Retrospection. You know. To look back on the past and decide how you want to move forward.”

“I thought we were going to write an article about New Years Resolutions and why they should be like MASTERed goals, so people could actually to keep them,” she said, tossing aside her notes.

“Yeah, well I spent some time in retrospection and changed my mind. Why should we contribute to the millions of articles that no one reads about about how to keep New Years Resolutions that no one keeps?”

“So instead of New Years Resolutions, you want this article to be about New Years Retrospection?” she asked with a tinge of exhaustion.

“Yeah, I do, because I think people have forgotten the point of celebrating a New Year. It's not about finding someone to kiss at midnight, or making promises that you know you won't keep, or blowing off fire works—although I admit that fireworks are fun as long as someone else is paying for them because I certainly can’t afford them.” She stared at me undecided, so I added. “What do you know about the Sumerian New Year?”

“I know enough to not care about it,” she replied, shoving paper into her backpack.

“The Sumerians were one of the first civilizations known to celebrate a New Year, several thousands of years before you were born. Their New Year wasn't midwinter. It was sometime in April because that was their time of planting. A new planting, a New Year. Understand?”

“I guess so,” she offered grudgingly.

“It was a eleven day celebration in which they thanked their city, rulers, priests, and gods for the past peaceful and prosperous year, while praying for another peaceful and prosperous year. We only know about them because they were one of the first civilizations who who wrote about their lives. But the part that really strikes me is that their celebration also asked that they return borrowed objects and repay their debts in order to greet the New Year free. It was kind of like a New Year’s resolution before we even had a January first.”

“So is that your New Year's Resolution?” she asked snidely. “Return all borrowed objects and repay your debts before New Years Day?”

“Seems a lot more practical and a lot less self-centered than other resolutions I've seen.”

For 2024, the Forbes Health/OnePoll survey found some resolutions to be more common than others, with the most popular goals including:

Improved fitness (48%)

Improved finances (38%)

Improved mental health (36%)

Lose weight (34%)

Improved diet (32%)

Less popular resolutions include traveling more (6%), meditating regularly (5%), drinking less alcohol (3%) and performing better at work (3%).

“Mine’s at least a bit MASTERed,” I continued. “It’s pretty specific. It’s timely. It’s measurable. I’m accountable. It even feels kind exciting to enter the New Year free. Might not be realistic for some, but you get the idea.”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes.

“You're missing the point. New Year’s celebration for the Sumerians was not about making promises to themselves that they wouldn't keep. It's was about starting the New Year clean of debt.”

“So it was about money?”

“What makes you think every debt involves money? I am indebted to many people whose debt does not involve money. People who have helped me, but I have forgotten to thank. Debts incurred that I have yet to pay forward. Besides, the Sumerians didn't have money as you know it. They traded in stone, wood, wool, lapis, copper, gold, iron, and reputation. Their New Years was not about money. It was about returning to your neighbor all borrowed objects. It was about helping each other be ready for a new year of planting. It was not a celebration of some abstract star to wish on because some date on a calendar made the day special. The Sumerian New Year came in April, when they were getting ready to plant their food for the upcoming season.”

“So it's not the money, it's the food?”

“Food, money? What's the difference? Whoever said money doesn't grow on trees has never met a tree farmer.”

“So did you actually want to make a point?”

“I am suggesting that you can create a MASTERed goal whenever you want. You don’t need a New Year to decide to quit smoking. However, a New Year might be a good time to look back on your past and decide how you want to move forward. The New Year is a good time to clean house and return all borrowed objects to your neighbor.” I paused before adding. “It has always been a time for me to clean house, and I am suddenly stuck by what my niece recently shared.”

“What’s that?”

“If you are trying to get rid of life’s clutter, hold everything up and ask if it fills you with joy. If it fills you with joy, keep it. If it doesn’t fill you with joy, it is time to give it away with the hope that it will fill some else’s need.”

“So that’s your New Year’s Resolution?” she said with a bit of contempt. “To keep what brings you joy and discard all the rest?”

“When it comes to clutter, yes. When it comes to you, no.”