Having its own calendar, Ethiopians, unlike many countries celebrates their New Year on September 11 GC. The Ethiopian New Year also known as Enqutatash means the ‘gift of jewels’.
Enqutatash is the first day of the New Year. The day has been associated with the return of Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia following her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem in 980BC. The day is said to be the symbolization of the end of rainy season of the nation, sources indicates.
Enqutatash is a unique holiday for Ethiopians. Apart from its beautiful religious celebrations, the day is celebrated in many traditional features. Holding as many drawings as they can, many young boys and girls go around each household and receive money or small breads in return of the picture they deliver.
With the approaching of every New Year, people tend to put New Year resolution.
They set short to long term plans on many things like quitting habits, starting new things, growing into a better person and so on. Moreover, they put on lots of efforts to do well on the coming New Year. Unfortunately, the enthusiastic performance won’t last more than two months.
While having an ambitious plan seems to be inspiring, the fact that people’s procrastination has left many to set the same plan each year. Researches show that excessive habits of procrastination might be considered as a mental disease which needs to be treated. However, the most part is not serious as it can be cured with few efforts.
Setting unattainable goals, making vague plans, putting less relevant things before important ones, too much postponing or delaying of valuable stuffs are amongst the major reasons that force people to stay procrastinators.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Abel Abate, 29, is a young owner of boutique around Piassa. He said that he usually fails to perform according to his plans. Knowing that he has to move with his plans, delaying many tasks that need to be carried out was the hardest thing in his life. However, he mentioned that he is putting extra effort to overcome his problems.
He further indicated that procrastination would not only drawback from goals be it short or long term but it also make people indolent even on easy tasks. “I used to be very passionate and enthusiastic about goals/ things that are unrealistic and hard to attain but given the fact that my plans were too broad, my inspiration was short lasting.”
With a different view of the idea, Samrawit Alemayehu, resident of Addis, noted that aside from setting workable goals, people should consider their potential and their keen to the matter. “I am strict with my plans as I am setting them considering my efforts and strength that I am going to put on in each of them.”
Mentioning that she could not accomplish all of her plans of the already ending year due to various reasons, she mentioned that she will do better in this New Year.
Daniel Mamo, new graduate of Electrical Engineering at Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU) said that delaying of important tasks are the main problems of most students. Trying to finish up things at the last hour seems to be the routine of students. Instead of being a dead-liner, he stressed that getting things done in time would make people successful in their life.
Mentioning that having a goal by itself won’t take people where they want to be in their life, he suggested that creating healthy and convenient environment is significant. Likewise, not putting pressure on our self including asking for help would be a great deal towards a goal, according to him.
Experts advise that setting clear and attainable goals, prioritizing important things/tasks, working on things at a time and exploring and learning more about our plans would help us achieve our plans easily and effectively.
The Ethiopian Herald August 21, 2019
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
