"I hate sitting around making New Year's resolutions and I can't see why you waste your time doing it!"

My partner has very clear views about New Year's resolutions, and I have to acknowledge that he doesn't seem to need them: if he feels like eating less, he eats less, more exercise, he takes more exercise, getting out more, out he goes. His views are shared by at least 50% of the population. So why do I think they are a good idea?

I enjoy sitting down and reviewing the year that has gone by. I enjoy reading my aspirations from last year, and reflecting on the extent to which I have followed them. I like bringing intention to my life and possibly a deluded sense of control. I like the sense of hope and possibility. I want to make sure that I am making the most of my life, and the relationships around me: my family, my local community, being as loving and as constructive as I can be.

I particularly enjoy thinking about these resolutions with close friends. Sharing our reflections and aspirations helps to validate both them and ourselves. My partner sits this one out.

How long has humanity made resolutions?

When we review the year, and reflect on our priorities for the coming year, we are following a version of a thousands-of-years-old practice. The ancient Babylonians sacrificed to the Gods in gratitude for the year passed. They would then reaffirm their loyalty to their King, and make promises to the Gods to clear their debts and live a better life. The Romans sacrificed to Janus Greek name Saturn , the two-faced God that looks backwards to the past and forwards into the future.

This sense of giving thanks for the past, and promising to do better in the future was formalised in Christianity by John Wesley in 1740 with his Covenant renewal service, held at the New Year.

As well as keeping the Gods on our side, we humans need to break our life into chapters, to see our life moving through different stages: creating a landscape for our autobiographical narrative. We seek opportunities for fresh starts to open a new chapter, to reframe our stories and change direction. Dates that mean something to us; such as the New Year, the start of a new term, the first day of spring, all help us to do this.

What resolutions do people make?

The most common resolutions are to eat more healthily, exercise more, and spend less money, in different orders of preference depending on age, gender and location.

I use my New Year review as a realignment with my internal compass, to check how I am I living my values, to what extent I am expressing my values in the world.   I use three columns, one each for things that:

• I want to stop doing or leave behind, e.g. fear-based thinking, comparing myself to others. ,
• I want to continue or increase doing e.g. more writing, more spiritual development and
• I want to start doing all sorts of hopeful stuff!