Of Christmas and New Year's Resolutions

If you are like me, you probably gave up on new years' resolutions ages ago. To be precise, I neither remember the piece of paper on which I wrote my last resolutions nor what my last resolution was. Although I do  remember a year, actually two years running where I had to carry-forward the previous year's resolutions. And before you begin talking to me about the need for S.M.A.R.T goals, let me tell you that all my resolutions used to be smart and by SMART if you haven't yet attended one of those planning sessions is meant Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. Just that there came a time where I needed to be honest with myself and it didn't take long for me to come to the sobering conclusion that my resolutions at best sounded like dreamy wishes of a hormone crazed teenager.

Any resolution is only as good as its implementation. It is fine to have resolutions stuck to your bedroom wall, programmed as your computer's greeting message or ingeniously crafted into your phone's ringing tone, but if effort is not expended in implementing them, I am afraid conceiving them is a waste of time. By the way, lets be clear of one thing: Resolutions are different from goals. Resolutions are those things you plan to start doing or stop doing, mostly hovering in the habit realm. Of course a resolution can help you achieve your goals.

Each festive period comes with its own brand of messages all aimed at promoting consumerism. We have been bombarded with this and that Christmas promotion that ends with the same message: Buy!

And if you dare ask why you should buy, your question is first met with an incredulous look, followed by the answer "because its Christmas". Surely there must be a better reason for unleashing this wave of consumerism than simply because its "Christmas". Season of goodwill, giving, receiving, getting drunk and whatever is in between, in the name of Christmas.

Listening to the radio the other day, a pastor was preaching himself hoarse, emphasising the point that Christ is the reason for the season and that he should never be left out of the Christmas equation. Interestingly, he had done his research and admitted as much that the day and celebration itself has its origins in pagan festivities. His message in short being that of urging Christians to do their best to launder this day so that it aptly reflects the principles of Him who is the reason for the season.

Luckily for me the clock striking midnight to signify both Christmas and the New year will find me deep in Northwestern province on some work assignment. Before leaving home I carefully sidestepped issues of buying a Turkey for Christmas insisting that our normal meals of beans, chicken, Fish etc are just as good for any occasion including Christmas. A response that predictably did not go down well with my family.

Do not get me wrong, the holidays are a great time for family bonding and so forth. I just don't think Christmas is a good enough reason for the spending and drinking that go on in its honour. I am more than happy to spend on someone's birthday and can even drink (if I did), to someone's promotion. But to simply go wild because its Christmas seriously isn't my thing.

And just in case Santa stumbles upon this blog and has made his mind up to punish me for being a bad boy for discouraging people to spend wantonly, I apologise to him and implore him that his Reindeer drawn carriage is welcome at my home. Only problem is that I don't have a chimney through which he can stealthily climb down and deposit my present. Speaking of Santa, it seems he is even more popular on Christmas than the owner of the birthday.

So here is to wishing all of you a happy, rational and objective Christmas. And a new year in which your resolutions will finally be honored.

Happy holidays