Many historians trace the beginnings and the existence of New Year's resolutions back to this group. People would reportedly make promises to the gods in hopes that they would earn good favor in the coming year. The month of January is actually named after the god Janice, who was the god of New Beginnings. We tend to set resolutions at this time of the year because the New Year serves as this cyclical marker of time during which we can reevaluate our lives.