Resolutions Are Julius Caesar’s Fault
They are all his fault.
It was Julius Caesar who decided in 46 B.C. that January 1 should be the start of a new year.
The sun was becoming out of alignment with the Roman calendar. After consulting some local, smart mathematicians, Julius changed our days up to be closer to today’s Gregorian calendar. History.com says Caesar named January 1 the start of the new year in honor of “Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future.”
The Romans celebrated this transition to the new year with raucous parties and gifts to one another.
Cool, huh? That we’ve been doing this for 2000 years?
Hopefully, you are going to some raucous parties over the new year. Hopefully you are not looking back with regret at what you didn’t accomplish in 2022.
I like to wonder what Janus with his two faces would tell us today, a few thousand years later (in addition to the fact that it’s not good to be two-faced). First, he would be totally freaked by Facebook.
But then, I believe Janus would say crossing into the new year is a perfect time to look back and look forward. He’d say: Stop whining about whether you believe in resolutions or not—or that resolutions never work for you. Just look yourself in the mirror, and ask: Where have I been and where do I want to go from here?
What might we reflect on? Maybe things like:
What were my most memorable moments in 2022 and what made them meaningful?
What three things from 2022 am I most proud of?
What relationships have I nurtured or healed? What’s next?
What energy, intention, or key word/phrase might I hold for myself in this next year (for example, mine last year was "joyful ease")?
What meta goal do I want to drive my progress in 2023 (as in BHAG: big, hairy, audacious goal)?
What fear do I want to tackle? What might that look like?
2023 will be the year I finally….
We can be creative and have some fun in how to explore these. There are a lot of different ways to do this! We might:
Go for a walk/run/hike/bike and consider a question as you pedal or move. Engaging your physical body while exploring something important can give you access to greater wisdom.
Write your question down/journal or free write about it. Writing is a great way to clear the system or make space for what is new.
Long trip ahead? Dictate thoughts out loud into an app on your phone as the mind drifts.
Take a shower! To cleanse your aura, healers suggest that you hold your arms high over your head as you shower. Many people say showers help them think better—perhaps there’s something powerful here.
Talk to a friend or partner. Choose a topic and ask that question of the other.
Meditate on it. Sit in silence and see what comes up.
These were just some ideas to get you started! And don’t forget to send your annual thanks to Julius Caesar for setting up our calendar the way it is today. And to Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings. He is right by your side as you flip ahead to 2023.