Resolutions Through Time: What Would London’s Legends Have Vowed?

Ah, New Year’s resolutions: the annual ritual where we vow to change our lives… until mid-January. But still, we couldn’t start the year without a resolutions blog (mine is to eat more cheese from here). What if we could peek into the past and see what famous Londoners might have promised themselves as the clock struck midnight?

Take Samuel Johnson, for example, the great lexicographer who compiled the first modern English dictionary. Would he resolve to stop correcting people’s grammar in public? Probably not. More likely, Johnson would vow to finally finish his dictionary—a task he famously laboured over for nearly nine years. Perhaps his resolution would have been: “This year, I’ll get the Z section done…”

Next, imagine Virginia Woolf, the sharp, introspective writer of Mrs Dalloway. Woolf, who spent her days pondering existence, might have made a resolution to take more walks through London’s Bloomsbury. But not just any walks—she’d resolve to observe the world in more detail, scribbling down every interaction like a true modernist. A bit like us, then, trying to get our thoughts on paper, only with fewer distractions from social media.

And then there’s Winston Churchill, the bulldog of British politics. Churchill’s resolutions were probably simple: drink more champagne, stay more determined, and continue to save the world, one speech at a time. After all, the man could turn a New Year’s toast into an art form.

So, what about you? This year, will you resolve to be more like me and simply vow to enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures, or maybe like Johnson, and add a few more words to your vocabulary? Whatever your goal, remember: even the greatest Londoners started with a promise to themselves. What’s yours?

Daniel Studholme