What is it about the threat of a Christmas holiday that scares people into sudden action?
For the second half of the year, the thought of the Christmas break (and possible bonus) is just about all we can use to motivate ourselves to push through another week or month. Half a breath later it’s the second week of October; the Christmas decorations are up in all the shops (what’s with that?) and everyone is entering panic mode trying to cram as much Stuff™ as possible into the last moments of workable time.
One month later and the heat is really on. Clients want things delivered, board meetings abound, and (to add insult to injury) the fecking Christmas carols jingle at you from every angle!
Here’s my question: why the panic? What really changes between the 31st of one month and the 1st of another, even if that change includes year change? It’s not even the end of the financial year for most people!!
And for non-business issues: surely you set yourself up for failure if you suddenly try achieve all your previous resolutions in the next 4 weeks, because you didn’t do them in the preceding 11 months? Here’s a hint: quitting smoking and losing weight are not happy bedfellows! When I quit, I ate everything that wasn’t stapled to the table (for about a month).
Maybe I’m just being unnecessarily grouchy, another thing that seems to strike at this time of year.
My resolutions for the next 4 weeks:
- stop putting off my gym training sessions
- finish content for the BIG project*
- get through dreaded extended family Christmas gathering
- remain sane
*more on this when done
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: bah humbug, christmas, holiday, no promises, work
I’ve been sitting at my desk occasionally singing “Falalalalalalalalalalala” for absolutely no earthly reason. And if I see any more tinsel, somebody is going to die.
Bah humbug, etc.
But I must confess (that my loneliness is killing me nooooow…) – I mean, I must confess that I am also a list-making resolutions girl who suddenly “gets organised” as the year draws to a close. I avoid new year’s resolutions, they never pan out and then you feel terrible from January 3 onwards. But for some reason, the sense of something drawing to a close and something new beginning – even if it is only something as random as a year – brings out the organiser in me.
Skip resolution #4, it’s too late for you.
britney?! you quoted britney on my blog and think it’s too late for my sanity?
The end of the year is the ultimate Friday afternoon. Logic doesn’t feature at all.
To quote some weepy emo kid on You Tube: leave Britney alone!
I developed a tic in my left eye last night while watching Christmas ads on TV…apparently the spirit of Christmas is spending loads of dosh on hideous, kitsch crap that will be shoved into the back of your cupboard within days and forgotten until the next time your relatives visit.
Blah!
Another thing (and this refers to Kyknoord’s wonderful comment): have you noticed that as the weather improves, you start feeling more holiday-ish? Like, if the sun is shining, it must be time to stop working? This is tricky, since it’s 32 degrees all day every day from here on out and I still have a month left at work…
[...] running around like a headless chicken currently, doing all the things I poked fun at in this post, like trying to get into slightly better shape (gym trainer: check), finish up loads of urgent work [...]