From ancient traditions to modern habits—what we can learn about sustainable change.

Happy New Year Kimberly,

Welcome to 2026!

Are you a fan of New Year’s Resolutions?

With the turning of the calendar comes the wave of New Year’s resolutions. I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a big fan of them. It often feels like a hype cycle—lots of excitement, followed by disappointment when the motivation fizzles out.

If I’m living in alignment with my values year-round, I don’t need January 1st to determine whether I’m “on track.” A date is just a date. That said, I know plenty of people genuinely enjoy the ritual of setting resolutions, and I’m always supportive of anyone looking to improve their health.

Many churches launch the year with prayer and fasting, which can offer a helpful spiritual reset. Still, even that can sometimes feel more obligatory than transformational. Maybe I’m just wired a bit differently—I have been lovingly called a plant-based, off-grid, Jesus-loving hippie, after all.

A Brief History of New Year’s Resolutions

Digging into the history of New Year’s resolutions reveals that this tradition goes way back.

• Babylonians (around 2000 B.C.)
  They celebrated their new year with festivals and made promises to their gods—essentially ancient resolutions.
• Ancient Romans (around 46 B.C.)
  Julius Caesar shifted the start of the new year to January in honor of Janus, the god of beginnings. Romans made promises to live better in the year ahead.
• Early Christians
  They adopted a more introspective approach—reflecting on mistakes, seeking spiritual growth, and using practices like fasting and prayer to recommit to God.
• 17th-century Puritans
  They brought the resolution tradition to America, again focusing on self-examination and spiritual improvement.

By the 19th century, New Year’s resolutions were firmly established in American culture, gradually moving toward a more secular tradition.

Today, research suggests that somewhere between one-third and nearly 80% of resolutions focus on improving health. That’s a massive share—and yet so many still struggle to follow through.

Why do these health-focused resolutions fail so often?
Stay tuned next week—we’ll dig into the “why.”

What’s Your Resolution History?

Let’s pause for a moment of reflection.

• Do you typically make New Year’s resolutions?
• What have you tried in past years?
• Which ones stuck—and which ones didn’t?
• Most importantly: Why did you choose them?

Your reason—your why—often predicts your consistency.

If you’d like to share your reflections with me, simply hit reply. I’d love to hear your story. It might reveal something important about what will actually help you succeed going forward.

If you want a sneak peek at next week’s theme, enjoy this short TED Talk: What'sMyWhy.

Upcoming: Your “Why” + Building Beliefs, Behaviors, and Beyond

Next week, we explore why resolutions fail, how your “why” anchors lasting change, and how belief shapes behavior.

Connection Invitation

It’s a brand-new year—a beautiful time to focus on the hope and healing that is possible in 2026 and beyond.

If you’re simply curious about Building Hope & Healing Lifestyle, let’s connect for a virtual coffee chat. If you’re local, we can sip real hot drinks together and brave the winter chill! Sign up for a local coffee chat here.

And if you’re feeling ready to take the polar plunge into reduced pain, less inflammation, and renewed energy to serve your home, work, and community—schedule a Find Your Energy Discovery Session with me.

“Whether you think you can or you can’t — you’re right.” — Henry Ford

Here is to your hopeful and healing New Year,

Kim

Website: hopeandhealinglifestyle.com

Email: kim@hopeandhealing.com