# Why New Years Resolutions Fail

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-new-years-resolutions-fail/51232>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 22, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-new-years-resolutions-fail/51232 "2001-01-22T06:37:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-new-years-resolutions-fail/51232/1 "2001-01-22T06:37:38Z")

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Because they take place in JANUARY for God’s sake.

Ok. It’s a new year. In the sense that the solstice is pasted and the days are getting longer. That’s fine if you happen to be a planet. For humans January just does not make it as a time of renewal.

January is about dark and snow and head colds and thoughts of suicide uninterrupted by questions of self-improvement.

January is about settling down in front of a warm fire (ideally you should have a fireplace for this) and nursing your vices, not eliminating them.

January is not a time to contemplate great changes in your life. January is God’s way of saying “Go home and lie down.”

I say if we’re going to have resolutions let’s move them to, say, May 1st. When you actually feel like doing something and you’ve had several weeks of spring thaw to psych yourself up for it.

Am I wrong?

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**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-new-years-resolutions-fail/51232/2 "2001-01-22T08:24:14Z")

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…because I have no willpower whatsoever.  
…and I lose sight of goals to easily… err what was I talking about?