Breaking the Code

The Evolution of the New Year's Resolution

Havas Medical Anthropology

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Every January, millions of us resolve to reset and become a better version of ourselves. But where did New Year’s resolutions come from, and why do they so rarely stick? 

As the fervor behind the new year quiets, Sonika and Gabe take a moment to trace the evolution of the New Year’s resolution, from ancient Babylonian promises to the gods to today’s culture of self-optimization and burnout. They unpack how modern goal-setting became tangled with fear of failure and misplaced faith in willpower, and explore a radically simpler way forward.

Tiffany Teng also joins the discussion! Tiffany was a key contributor to Havas' recent GLP-1 report and shares insights on goal setting around the holidays. Check out our report Holidays in the GLP-1 Era here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=V1Xtx8ilNUSfq62nq83AG8XJvg801jdPt_lTqxsrFANUM0V…

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