Hi there @chbartist; enjoyed your post and you make some very valid points. For me, the thing that often serves to inadvertently "sabotage" many people's New Year's Resolutions is that we try to jam good intentions for an entire year into the first week of January.
I'm more a believer in making "resolutions" when the inspiration is actually there.
For example, we live way up in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Let's say I resolve to "start jogging, three times a week." Well, chances are the first days of January will be cold, rainy, windy, possibly snowy and most likely miserable.
Not very inspiring to start something. And — unless you are exceptionally purposeful — pretty much a recipe for failure. On the other hand, if I resolve to start jogging in May when it's really nice out... much better chance of success.
The other thing about resolutions is that they are often made under duress and peer pressure. We resolve to change a behavior or take up a habit because we feel pressured to. Or because our friends are all doing so. And then we can rationalize our wau out of following through by telling ourselves "well... it wasn't really MY idea."
Just some random thoughts that came to mind, as I was reading.
=^..^=