The idea of marking the start of a new year by committing to be better is as old as human civilization. Historians believe that the Babylonians started the custom of making new year’s resolutions 4 000 years ago. The month of January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, who both looked back to the past year and forward to the new year, presumably to keep an eye on whether the ancients stuck to their new years’ promises. During the Middle Ages, knights purportedly renewed their vows of chivalry at the end of every year. In our age, most resolutions focus on self-improvement and often involve the intent to eat a healthier diet or exercise more. We can use this innate human urge to help us adopt better financial habits too.
The idea of marking the start of a new year by committing to be better is as old as human civilization. Historians believe that the Babylonians started the custom of making new year’s resolutions 4 000 years ago. The month of January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, who both looked back to the past year and forward to the new year, presumably to keep an eye on whether the ancients stuck to their new years’ promises. During the Middle Ages, knights purportedly renewed their vows of chivalry at the end of every year. In our age, most resolutions focus on self-improvement and often involve the intent to eat a healthier diet or exercise more. We can use this innate human urge to help us adopt better financial habits too.
