December: The annual festival of delusional self-evaluation

Here’s to Dec, the uncomfortable month of reflection and revelation. The antidote for this is having realistic expectations of yourself and others

- SANJEEV KOTNALA

December is a mood. It’s that magical time of the year when we neatly wrap emotions and hard truths from our experiences with glitter tape, pretending everything is perfectly under control. It’s the month when we, the highly evolved procrastinating creatures, suddenly discover reflection, purpose.

A time when we realise that mobile phones are not just for scrolling but can also be used as stationery for noting and writing down lofty resolutions we fully intend to abandon in a week, or max fortnight, after the new year hangover dilutes. Don't panic. Read the next few paragraphs with complete faith and no guilt. They are written by one who proudly breaks his New Year’s resolutions by Jan 7.

December is the season of retrospection, conveniently forgetting that we spent 11 months expertly postponing everything that involved effort, discipline, and emotional maturity. December arrives with a halo, whispering seductive feelings that echo “New You” and “Fresh Start”. We smile, nod, and add them to our extended near-impossible To-Do list, right after “learn guitar”, “write book”, “call cousins back”, and “finish 2021 online course”.

In all this now ritualistic understanding, the only thing that has grown is our list of things we meant to do. However, hope you have realised that procrastination isn’t a time management problem. IT IS A LIFESTYLE. A beautifully curated art installation made of excuses, fears, YouTube rabbit holes, long Instagram scrolls and the unshakeable belief that “January will be different”.