With only about 5 weeks left before the year comes to a close, the year 2014 is drawing to an end and leaving many hackled with probably the hardest question to answer, ‘Where did the year go?’ It still feels like it was a mere 5 minutes ago when champagne was popped, fireworks cracked and resolutions were made as the Christmas decorations were being taken down.
The decorations are back up and very few have managed to shed the extra weight they’d put on during the last festive season, and even fewer have made those life altering changes which they had sworn to do at the beginning of the year.
One may wonder where the human mind fell off the wagon from the trail of the seemingly great ideas which can only have positive outcomes. The reality however is that habits are much stronger than intentions, regardless of how good the intention is. The resolutions themselves are also done rather abruptly and not much thought is put on their overall execution, they hardly ever have a support system to help carry them through. Before making such resolutions one must have a fully fledged action plan on how go about them.
The negative thoughts on not managing to fulfil their resolutions are however very short lived and will soon be over shadowed by the rampant spending, endless partying and the relaxed atmosphere of the (in) famous festive season. Those not afraid to imbibe are finding it very easy to go out till the wee hours of the morning on a daily basis and staggering home with the simple excuse of ‘Go festive.’
In a week or two some of the companies will also be adding petrol to the festive fire by giving employees their 13th cheques (bonuses) for the year end. Social groups will also be sharing their profits from the now very popular ‘Metshelo’, so spending money will be in abundance and shopping malls all over the country will be swarmed with customers stocking up for a very merry Christmas.
A very bad cycle for it will only be leading them to a very long thebe-less January. When the tinsels and holly come down from the windows in the stores, they are replaced with back to school specials which only cements the reality that spending recklessly over the holidays only leads to a terrible beginning of the year, with very little hope for improvement and recovery.
