This god, for whom the month of January is named, was a popular, two-faced deity with the power to view both the past and the future simultaneously. As we look to the past, wince at some of our failings and resolve to make adjustments in the coming year, we begin the new millennium with the 3,000-year-old tradition of making New Year’s resolutions.

Americans are seemingly quite eager to change. Fifty percent of us make resolutions at this time of year. The nature of the resolutions commonly relates to health matters: 30% resolve to stop smoking, 38% to lose weight. Success is another matter. Fifty percent fail by the end of the month of January and only 20% continue to be successful after two years.

What factors determine success? In a study of 200 folks who made New Year’s resolutions, those who were successful reported significantly more use of “stimulus control” aids, that is, keeping things around that reminded them of their resolution. For example, dieters may place a picture of a very large or very thin person on the refrigerator door. Other success factors included will power and positive reinforcement.

The god Janus gave the ancient Romans additional self-control and also rewarded them as time passed with continuing success. Regarding your own resolutions, therefore, have some courage, work at it, and if you do well for a given time reward yourself. You have earned the praise of the gods.

For those who fail (80% of us), the gods notice that we do a lot of wishful thinking. We don’t want to struggle; we simply want the problem to be over. We who fail also whine a lot. We are very self-critical and blame ourselves for everything. Resolvers who fail admit (or whine) that they simply did not have the willpower needed for success.

Janus suggests that we are more likely to be successful if we quit beating ourselves up about our failures. The Roman gods were pretty levelheaded guys and gals. As the two-faced god reviews the past and plans for the future, he encourages lowly mortals to try again. Failure is considered to be a factor predicting eventual success. Recall the proverb, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

As mortal doctors and patients make resolutions for the New Year, I offer the following resolutions that I am making for myself as a physician and offer them to my colleagues where appropriate:

1. I will first ask every patient, “How are you?” I will avoid beginning an office visit with “How is your hiatus hernia or colon polyp?”
2. I will give patients time to answer my questions.
3. I will allow patients to question my decisions and answer their questions patiently and fully.
4. I will remain calm when dealing with families, HMOs, and attorneys-at-law.
5. I will always remember that I am not Janus.

For patients, I suggest they consider the following resolutions when dealing with the medical system:

1. I will make one of these health-related resolutions: a) stop smoking; b) lose weight; or c) take measures to reduce stress.
2. When visiting the doctor’s office, I will prepare my thoughts and questions beforehand.
3. I will follow my physician’s directions, take my medications, and keep my appointments.
4. I will be pleasant with medical secretaries and nurses. They are trying to help.
5. I will always remember that the doctor is not Janus.

Happy New Year.