By Mike Chimansa
It is a known fact that every living being has a habit. Some habits are good, others are bad. A fine number of us get addicted to certain habits in different ways. Some of us like drowning our throats at the watering hole, others prefer telling lies, some read holy books like the bible every day, and others enjoy watching rated movies all day. Some like better stealing and others have a preference of been intimate every day.

There are lots of other habits that people are getting addicted to day by day. Technology too, has brought us a quantity of advancements to which people are getting addicted everyday. The likes of facebook, whatsapp and many other social media sites that have people spending long hours ever logged on.

Speaking for myself, I take consent that I am a face book addict. It usually happens that most times, no matter how occupied I may be. There is always the urge that beats my reasoning to halt my concentration, and log-in to facebook just to check on what’s trending.

The usual suspected matters are.. has any politician accepted the pilgrimage photo challenge yet? What has Iris Kaingu done this time? Where has our ‘so fly’ Jonathan flown to again? Which one of our thirty nine remaining ‘One Million Dollar wheel-barrows’ has by any chance put out a fire or broken down today? What else has been added on the list of things that should remain in 2017? Did the mayor sleep in his office only to wake with a tremor shaking Lusaka again or has the chipata mayor worn a suit made out of fabric meant for sewing hospital bed sheets? And which Member of Parliament mistakenly pronounces Chaos as Charles eradicating all doubt that he has scores to settle with the ministry of education?

All these are daily issues all over social media. And I guess it upsets nobody that no one is buying newspaper today-Unless of course you own a news paper publishing company. Almost everybody is addicted to social media these days. Except if you are a BBC; and that means someone Born Before Computers.

Another habit trending like fashion in an outward appearance is ‘beer drinking’. I do sip myself. Believe me you-I have never met a fellow sipper admitting that our drinking is a habit. Actually, try telling a drunken person they have a habit to drink. They’ll totally deny it and consider it luck-if you are not insulted.

I don’t know what’s so special about beer drinking but most young people drink on a daily basis out here. A party is not merrymaking if there are no beers to be drunk. Most people, young and old, man or woman, employed or unemployed and married or not, will tell you that they find happiness in holding a beer in their hands. It’s like beer drinking is the most recent description of happiness in this century.

The last time I had my nose stuck in other people’s business, I heard a woman asking the husband to choose between her and beer drinking, and the husband said ‘please, never compare beer with stupid things’. I hear the man is the newest divorcee in town today.

There are lots of other habits that people get addicted to day by day-out here. Computer games, infidelity, gossip and you can name it all. Nowadays, it’s called a habit been a political cadre as we witness recycled politicians change political parties.

Anyway, an old proverb says ‘caution is the parent of safety’. And now that the last month of the year is here, December, and people are taking precautions of their New Year resolutions. Everyone wants to leave their old habits in 2017. People have been posting whatever their habits are and concluding with ‘should remain in 2017’

Someone posted on social media that the habit of taking selfies in guest houses should remain in 2017. And another one wrote that the habit of Alex N’gonga making balls fly like aeroplanes when he should have scored should also remain in 2017. The other one said pastors that told us 2017 was our year to succeed and prosper, have up to December 31st to exculpate why none of their prophecies has happened yet-otherwise they risk remaining in 2017 as well.

To take the matter seriously and personal. This is December and 2018 is fast approaching. We ought to start realizing what our old habits are and work on them before 2018 to create space for new ones. I would like to admit that I have habits that I am looking forward to leave behind too. Habits that I want to totally get rid of and build a new character to become the person I always to envy to be. I want to be more of a responsible man next year. I yearn to see a better version of myself.

But without self-drive, self-confidence and commitment, I have noticed that none of my personal goals and new year resolutions would bear fruit for me in the coming year, if I choose to be the same person looking for different results. I am told I’ll reap what I am sowing today, I am told that been alone is better than been with bad company, and I am also told the journey of a thousand miles began with one step. So I have come to personally acknowledge that if I want to stop the habit of drinking then I have to stop associating myself with people who drink, and I better learn to be a lone wolf if I want to quit the habit of been found amongst bad company and I better start now to work on ways to quit my old habits if I am to achieve the results that I desire. Dear friends and family, In life I have come to learn that nothing is important but change. And if we truly want to change our lives, then we have to look for that change from deep inside our souls. I am working on how I am going to apply changes and make my life better next year. And I hope you do. Otherwise alwasys keep it in mind that ”It is never easy to divorce old habits”, but let us keep trying.

And best wishes as you make you 2018 resolutions.