t is January, and the new yearbrings hope once more that wewill gain some control over ourlives and even make them betterduring the coming year. The top

personal resolutions people make thesedays involve spending more time withfamily and friends, exercising, losingweight, quitting smoking, increasingparticipation in enjoyable activities,quitting drinking, managing financesbetter, learning something new, and get-ting organized.1 Do any of these soundfamiliar? Many people will make theseresolutions on New Year’s Eve and willhave broken them by Feb 1.

So why do we make resolutions? Itseems to be a human trait that is almostas old as mankind. Historians say thatabout 4,000 years ago, the Babyloniansmade resolutions once a year at the timeof the vernal equinox to return anythingthey had borrowed, especially farmingequipment.2 The vernal equinox (ie, thefirst day of spring) was considered to bethe beginning of the new year.

The urge to make resolutions, there-fore, is well-established in the psyche ofmankind. We have to hope for bettertimes, for improvement in our lives,and for personal betterment. Continu-ing to believe that things will get betterlends hope and confidence to thebeginning of a new year.

NEW RESOLUTIONSThis year, if you are brave enough to

make resolutions, consider some newones in addition to the traditional per-sonal goals. For example, what aboutensuring the safety of your computerrecords by installing a reliable virusdetector and spyware program or back-ing up your information routinely?Professional goals also could be perti-nent. Working toward a promotion orincreasing your knowledge by taking a

class would be beneficial. Community-oriented resolutions also can berewarding. Vow to help with activitieslike Meals-on-Wheels, lead a scouttroop, visit elderly and homeboundpeople, or assist with one of the hun-dreds of other community projects thatdepend on volunteers. One resolutionI hope each and every perioperativenurse will make is to maintain his orher membership in AORN. Becomeactive in local or national meetings, andsee what exciting thingsare in store for you andour profession in thecoming year.

MY OWN RESOLUTIONSMy resolutions for this

year are to • continue to offer you

the very best in theAORN Journal,

• improve handling ofarticle submissions,

• obtain electronicmeans for better com-munication withauthors and interestedwriters,

• decrease time from submission topublication, and

• mentor more new writers. I wish you all a very Happy New Yearand good luck with your resolutions. ❖

NANCY J. GIRARDRN, PHD, FAAN

EDITOR

NOTES1. “Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions,” AboutPittsburgh, Pa, http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/holidays/tp/resolutions.htm (accessed 28 Nov2005).2. J Wilson, “Happy New Year!” Wilstar.comWeb Site for Families, http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm (accessed 28 Nov 2005).

AORN JOURNAL • 13

Editorial JANUARY 2006, VOL 83, NO 1

It’s resolution time again

E D I T O R I A L

Nancy J. Girard,RN

IIf you are braveenough to makesome New Year’s

resolutions, consider some

new ones this year.