Page 14 Features Jan. 23, 2002 New Years’ resolutions originated with the Babylonians Brittany Dunlap Reporter The real question some of us ask on New Year’s Day is who can we blame. Who came up with the idea of New Year’s resolu tions? The idea of New Year’s resolutions date back over four thousand years to the Babylonians. The Babylonians believed that what a person does on their first day of the New Year will have an effect throughout the entire year. More recently New Year’s has been considered a time for looking back to the past, but also, looking for ward to the coming year. New Year’s is a time to reflect on how you have changed and ways you want or need to change. For those of you who got a late start and did not make a resolution, I found an es cape clause. Start anew in March. That is, after all when the Babylonians cel ebrated the New Year. Tips For Achieving Success Are you determined that this year will be different than all the rest? That this year, you will actu ally keep those New Year’s resolu tions? If that is the case then I have some tips for you. First of all, don’t do everything all at once. Remember when you were a child, before you could walk to have to crawl and before you could run you have to walk? The same goes with New Year’s resolutions. There is always the temp tation to be the overachiever and attempt ev erything on the long list that you created for yourself. Narrow down the list, you will have more success fulfilling one or two goals rather than twenty-five. You can always add more resolutions to your list as the year progresses. Secondly, remember to word your reso lutions carefully. If you the computer.” Make the resolution more spe cific by narrowing down to specific programs that you want to learn to use. By making your resolutions more specific than stress will be reduced and you will still think of the idea as something you want to do, not have to do. Finally, write it down. Putting anything on paper has more significance than just reminding yourself mentally. Stick the paper on your desk, on the refrigera- \ make broad sweeping statements, then there is more room for exceptions and error. Don’t say, “This year I am going to relax more” Say something like, “This year I’m going to ex plore different ways of relaxing.” Or if your resolution is, “I’m going to learn how to use tor, microwave etc., anywhere that you will see it on a daily basis. Don’t be afraid to change the wording as the year progresses either. Naturally, things change. What the Internet Has to Offer And, when things change, there is always money to made. Internet companies have already begun trying to make money off of the resolutions of others. For $9.95 a month, www.mygoals.com will give customers a plan, timetable and online coaching for the most common resolutions such as losing weight to starting a new business. The site even offers a free 30-day trial. If spending money isn’t your style, www.hiaspire.com/newyear will send you a monthly re minder by e-mail to keep up with your new resolution.The site offers a complete list of resolutions, including “Be a better person in general.” For general tips on keep ing resolutions, visit www.how-to-keep-your- new-years-resolution.com/ html/common.html. Founder Fred Kelley of www.quitsmoking.com of fers a nonsmoking site, com plete with articles and free e-mail newsletters. For those who can’t knock off those pounds and aren’t in terested in visiting their local Weight Watchers, www.weightwatchers.com will help you for a sign-up fee of $29.95 and a monthly fee of $14.95. All information provided may be found at the following website: http://www.how- to-keep-your-new-years-resolutions.com XKW YMirS KKSOLIJTIOXS 1) Stop smoking 2) Lose the freshman 15 3) Get more involved. 4) Join The Pendulum staff. We will help you meet at least one of your resolu tions. E-mail pendulum@elon.edu or come by Moseley 233. Unlikely alliances possible in magazine world Cosmopolitan, the racy magazine for women, and IMaxim, the racy magazine for men, have consum mated an unlikely alliance, and will share a feature story ("The War Between the Sexes ... Is Over") in their March issues. That got our newspaper's Sub committee on Strange Journalism Bedfellows thinking of some other possibilities: -Field & Stream and Martha Stewart: "How to Stuff Your Trophy Trout and Turn It Into a Fabulous Wed ding Centerpiece." -The New Yorker and Plumbing News: "Draining Your Septic Tank, a Poem by John Updike." -Opera News and Playboy: "The Girls of La Sea la." -Brill's Content and Busi ness Week: "Failure, One Man's Tale." -Guns & Ammo and Vogue: "The Full Metal Jacket Look for Fall." -Good Housekeeping and Soldier of Fortune: "Win ning the Battle Against Household Pests." -Dog Fancy and The Weekly Standard: "Buddy, the Clinton Dog: How and Why "Slick Willie" had him silenced." -Entertainment Weekly and High Times: "A Very Special Robert Downey Jr. Tribute Issue." Chicago Tribune Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services ^

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