John Lewis & Waitrose Warms our hearts again this Christmas

It appears that Christmas is in full swing with the Halloween outfits packed up its time to dust down the Christmas box of treats and decorations. No doubt you will have seen the constant stream of supermarkets and department stores gaining air time in their battle to get your money this Christmas.

One advert that in my mind marks the start of Christmas is the John Lewis advert. With strong stance on togetherness and unison John Lewis has many created living room memories and even propelled newly signed artists to the top of the chart list. Amazingly soundtracks recorded for John Lewis TV commercials have already sold more than 1 million units since 2009 . 

This years advert showcases the need of togetherness showing the lengths and breadths that people will go to give gifts this Christmas. The soundtrack of the advert is sung by a relatively unsigned Gabrielle Alpin, to the lyrics of power of love, this is sure to kick start her music career.

Marketing Director of John Lewis Craig Inglis, said that whilst last years advert was an instant success this years advert still packs in that heart felt seasonal cheer 'We know that our customers put real effort into finding the perfect gift for their loved ones at Christmas. This year’s ad brings that to life, with a creative twist.'

art of the John Lewis Partnership group includes Waitrose and whilst the John Lewis advert is the creative one this year Waitrose's is more subdued. Brand Ambassadors Heston Blumenthail and Delia Smith present a heartwarming but budget conscious open film setting that focuses on donating to charity organisations this Christmas.

Whether or not both these adverts will ring the cash registers in the stores remains to be unknown just yet, but what is for sure is that they have certainly put their mark on Christmas this year. 

Superstorm Sandy & The Presidential Election

Its election time in the United States and millions of voters are expected to cast their votes on who should be the next president, yet the effects of superstorm Sandy and the way the president has behaved in the after math of the event could have potential positive impacts in the running for his re-election. 

On Monday 29th October a terrific and unprecedented superstorm hit the east coast of the United States.  Still today many people are without electricity, many homes have simply vanished from existence, where once stood bustling communities now see burnt out wasteland. Whilst people see vast destruction of Atlantic City and New Jersey the worst affected areas, they are slowly beginning to pick up the pieces left by the storm and the re-build process is becoming a reality for many. 

The swift pre-cautions taken including shutting and protecting the network of underground subway, tunnels and roads meant much of the devastation has been reduced. Moreover daily media updates from the affected counties have meant a swift and coordinated approach which have helped the relieve efforts by the American Red Cross and other partners.

Barack Obama's immediate concern was one of 'togetherness', in an early statement he mentioned that 'We pull together. We leave nobody behind. Whenever an American is in need, we stand together'. Standing by this statement re-certifies the fact that the people of America can re-build and put their lives back after this unprecedented disaster. The statement also adds further evidence that whilst the election is still on-going he is still concerned for the American people affected. 

The presidents plaudits have not just come from his own people but from both sides of the fence with many democrats speaking out about his 'outstanding response', including Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, one of the worst hit areas of the storm. Christie, who recently slammed Obama in a major speech at Romney's nominating convention, said he spoke with the president three times on Monday, the day the storm hit, and thanked the president for promptly declaring the state a federal disaster area so it could get federal help without the "normal FEMA mumbo jumbo."

Obama's tenancy as president might soon run out of gas but his swift and dedicated commitment to bring peoples life's back together, could keep keep him in political power for a further four years. In comparison what Mitt Romney could have done in such instance would have been limited but his whereabouts and comments maybe reserved for another day when he may too be in the eye of the storm.

Whether Obama has won over his critics that say he hasn't done enough and should not be re-elected remains to be seen and in truth we won't find out until later next week. Obama's controlling and caring approach has certainly been noticed, but whether the American people believe in his political views is another. However what is for sure is that whilst the election is still on-going there remains a major re-building process for either candidate when they re-enter or enter office in January.

On The Rise: Rise To

Budding recent graduates and undergraduates descend on London for launch of Rise To 

Are you a budding entrepreneur or a recent undergraduate who strives to maybe one day own your own business? A new concept launched called Rise To will certainly enlighten you to the secrets and tricks of the trade of achieving your reality. 

The event held at ETC Events, Dexter House, Royal Mint Court on 11th October was well attended by a number of partners, recent graduates and budding entrepreneurs. The series of workshops entitled Employ-ability, Speed Networking and Starting your Own Business, provided a format which was approachable to all and allowed individuals to learn, but also ask questions to existing businesses on how they can turn ideas into reality.

With the job market specifically tough for recent graduates. Employers are becoming more reluctant to invest in young talent due to experience. By creating links and routes to successful businesses such as Umi Marketing & Simply Business, Rise To aims to overcome these barriers by providing useful tips on getting that first step on the job ladder or first investment for new businesses.

If you are interested in becoming a partner of Rise To and believe you can add knowledge and experience then please do not hesitate to contact Rachel. Alternatively if you are looking to join the group and have budding ideas of your own but unsure of how to get them of the ground and would welcome some friendly advice and tips then please do not hesitate to contact Amina at Rise To. 

Getting Back On The Job Ladder

After spending the last year working in Sales & Account Management in the FMCG sector I now find myself looking for a new opportunity. 

I thought that after graduating from University and getting a job straight out of blocks it wouldn't be this difficult. Especially a job where I was given the opportunity to be trained up in various aspects of the industry and more over transferable skills in Negotiation and Presentation. 

Well I couldn't have been more wrong! Since leaving my contract position I have found it incredibly difficult to get my foot back in the door. Admittedly I have been offered and taken a number of temporary opportunities, to keep income coming in, but they are only so good for the short term.  

A search on my email inbox for the word 'applications' reveals a staggering 190 applications since July. Some have led to interviews, some second stage, some even third stage. Others have been a point blank refusal, with many more not even giving me a reply. So after so much time writing covering letters and emails its difficult to keep optimism and hope. 

So where does this leave me know?

I am still actively looking, I am not one of these people that will do the job and go home at the end of the day, I have resilient character, I don't get intimidated by others and would like to think that I can bring bags of enthusiasm to the role I eventually end up doing. 

The real disheartening thing though is that whilst I am technically 'unemployed' the government states that I didn't pay enough National Insurance last year and therefore not entitled to any 'job seekers allowance'. Now come on! Whilst I may have had a job for a year, I am pretty sure there are people out there who have never worked and I am certainly not one of those. 

Nick Clegg & The Political Spoofs

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg spoke of his apology to students regarding the latest round of tuition fee increases. Whilst this was the main objective of his speech, no sooner had he ended on the word 'apology' the video was a viral sensation and is set to maybe even reach the UK Chart this weekend. 

The broadcast intended for students, created by 'thepoke' website gives a great opportunity to see the light er side to Politics. However whilst the spoof has been watched by just shy of 400,000 YouTube viewers, Nick Clegg has given his full backing requesting that all of the single profits be given to the Christians Hospitality Charity in Sheffield, where he is a PM. 

This is not the first time something like has happened. In the build up to Presidents Obama election in 2008 a video replicating a speech at a party broadcast was re-created by creative agency Dipdive and released on YouTube. It featured Will.i.am, John Legend and a wealth of other known celebrities supporting his campaign. The video entitled 'Yes We Can' has grossed more than 24million users since 2008 and has won a host of Webby and Emmy awards for both the creative directors at Dipdive but also Will.i.am himself. 

So whether Nick Clegg is keen to re-gain credibility to students following this spoof remains to be seen, however the video will do the coalition government no wrong going forward. 

If you have not seen both of these videos I have attached them to the bottom of this blog for your further amusement.

  

Making the Most of your LinkedIn Account

Ever wondered who is looking at your LinkedIn profile. Having been an avid user for many years I now have found it increasingly useful to gain new connections and potential new opportunities simply by connecting with people who have viewed my profile recently. 

You can view who has viewed your profile by going to 'who's viewed your profile' on the LinkedIn home screen. It will say something along the lines of '8 people have viewed your profile in the past 3 days'. Below that you will see how many times your profile has come up in searches.

These tools are all good measures of your investment you put into your profile. The likelihood of someone visiting your profile could be because they are looking for new opportunities themselves, have a point of contact or even some information they would like to share with you. This in turn allows your to modify your content and make it more applicable to the people you want to reach out to with in your particular industry. 

Who's been looking - directors, to college friends, it always intriguing to find out who has been looking at your profile. Whilst it is great that people view your profile, you can never be sure why they did, therefore in some instances it may be appropriate to send them a Linkedin connection request. 

The key to a LinkedIn connection message is to keep it short. Whilst it would be easy to stick with the default tag line "I'd like to add you to my professional network" This does not really answer the question, why should they connect with you. The key then is to make it precise but also keep it simple.

Maybe use something like this. It is straight forward and justifies the reason why other colleagues, or potential employers should connect with you.  LinkedIn offers a premium version of 'profile stats', it allows you to build a complete picture of more recent viewers in your industry. Whilst this is a paid version I feel the 'free' tool is just as good. It depends on how deep your pockets are as the premium version is on monthly subscription basis.

Next time you are on LinkedIn have a look at this tool and use it to your full potential. It is a great way of connecting with different people in many different industries. 

Britons told don't fly but support locals

Central Line Tube Trouble

Severe delays just weeks before the opening ceremony of London 2012 hit London last week. A burst pipe causes havoc on the main line to the Olympic Park. Thousands of passengers face countless delays and disruptions to their journeys. 

A second use for the tube network in the making?

Will England Win Euro 2012?

If you asked 70 million people in the UK whether England will win Euro 2012 the answer would be probably be we have no chance. After all the odd's are not stacked in our favor particularly because we have in charge a new and relatively inexperienced manager in Roy Hodgson. The latest odd's previous to whether we win tomorrows opening group game with France are 14-1, only to be beaten by Russia, Italy, France, Germany, and the reigning champions Spain. 

Roy Hodgson caliber as a England manager, is very much viewed as experimental, although he has many  credentials within national management. However his recent club successes have been very few and far between including a brief and very unsuccessful stint at Liverpool. 

Pass the Buck - New manager, new surroundings - England chances are slim

In previous competitions we have an enormous amount of pressure pilled on to us in the days of Sven Erikson and Fabio Cappello, but this year is unlike any other, we are going into the competition with relative little expectation that we will make it past the group stage. 

Other teams have had very successful outcomes following little expectations going into such a major tournament. You only have to look at Greece's fortunes in Euro 2004 wen they lifted the trophy. Their success was compounded further by the fact that they had only qualified for two previous tournaments, Euro 1980 and the 1994 World Cup. Additionally to this when they won there first group game against the hosts Portugal, it was their first every victory. Likewise South Korea in the World Cup of 2002, getting through all the way to the semi finals only to be beaten by Germany 1-0. 

So can England win this tournament, possibly going into the tournament with relative little expectation that fan's expect us to actually get through the group stages. Where do you think England will end up, top the group and win the tournament or go home with many fan's not thinking too much of the tournament.

Increasing Restaurant Visibility

I read an article recently that stated that 95% of independent restaurants don't have mobile sites a further 40% don't have online menu's. Thinking about this for a second, it is a startling statistic. We currently live in society of online shoppers, smartphone users, yet restaurant owners and publicans are not using the right mediums to appeal to the right audiences.

Is this because they don't know how to use this mechanic? Or is it because they don't have the necessarily time to facilitate the rewards it can bring. Someone would argue that this statistic could be false predicament, with many independents offering takeaway services, online presences may not be the right method whereas leaflet drops are key drivers in delivering their successes.  

As a consumer and a regular visitor to independent restaurants it still amazes me that some restaurants still don't have a website to generate an online presence. What presence they do have on their websites is through review sites such as TripAdvisor and this certainly leaves them open from all angles to criticism regarding service and more importantly performance. 

If the restaurant industry is continuing to suffer because of this new marketing theme, where does the future lie for these independents relying on new business for their success. With restaurant owners feeling the pinch already with rising supplier prices and budget increases with more and more independents closing doors on a daily basis the future looks bleak for restaurant owners. 

Branch Out or Link (ed) In.

With recent statistics published earlier Linkedin has by far become one of the most recognized networking sites on a global scale. Whether you are looking to connect with recent or old colleagues, discuss new business or the latest trends within a industry LinkedIn has several uses for the savvy professional. The networking site boasts a lot more for bright individuals looking to get that first step on to the job ladder, and LinkedIn could be that perfect resource to do so.. 

It has enjoyed a relative easy ride in terms of its market place, up until now. BranchOut an application built within Facebook has amassed over 25 million users since it launch in 2010. The platform similar to LinkedIn, allows users to see which of their Facebook friends (or friends of friends work at specific companies). It builds your connections from your existing friends. The platform allows you to search and apply for roles within a multiple of industries. To date it has more than 3 million job listings. The platform is also a great opportunity for the younger generation to get their first steps on to the job ladder through advertised internships or part time work. 

However as the platform is built within Facebook it does come with its own limitations. Largely and in my opinion people want to keep their social and work life separate. I tend to go on Facebook to see what my friends are up to or see latest pictures. On the other hand I use LinkedIn to discuss relevant business news, find new ideas and constantly look for new opportunities through new connections. 

On the other hand, whilst many recruiters scroll and look on Facebook to find a true in-depth picture to what you say you really are, it creates opportunities for recruiters rather than individuals to migrate to Branch Out. Telling your friends that you applied for a particular job may not be the best thing, if you were looking to keep it a secret. However many people share their status updates through Twitter on LinkedIn, without realizing that they are even doing so which could lead them into trouble with their employers. 

Branch Out will have to increase its pulling power for the savvy Linkedin user to migrate to its platform. At best I found the user interface a little clunky, this could be because the application is built on Facebook App's. It will be difficult to see how and where its user base will come from, if they can pull in a wealth of well known recruiters then people will be attracted to apply for jobs no one else may see. I still believe that people will want to keep their personal life private from their work life. Whilst this may take time, it will become increasingly easy for LinkedIn to poach ideas or even buy, due to the sheer size of their recent flotation. 

You never know I could be wrong. So watch this space........ 

The Art of Selling

Being in a sales role for a large nationwide wholesaler, I can think of a few things that allowed me to get this job, plenty of work experience, hard work and a never give up attitude.  My degree however taught me very little about the world of Sales and the skills required to sell and negotiate with customers.

The number of subjects you can study at University is endless from golf studies to David Beckham studies, whether these subjects are entirely relevant to your career paths never seems to be an issue. Sales is something that is naturally occurring within our daily lives, but many of us don't know truly understand how to handle put this in to practice in the workplace.

Natural Selling: Sales is one where we are involved in everyday life, but many of us just don't realise it

With many businesses under extraordinary pressure to deliver results and increase margins, sales technique is something that should be preached within all organisations. New business and business development is a highly crucial element in this volatile climate. Having a highly trained sales force plays to many strengths and also an opportunity to increase professionalism.

Then there is the theory of sales, is it something that can be taught? Everyone has a different sales technique depending on the product and the market you are selling in. There may not be one clear defined rule when persuading someone to buy something off you. This could be one of the reasons for the lack of content related to the art of sales & negotiating within my degree course.

The sales field is becoming increasingly complex, the switch from a more hard selling approach to a process of building and maintaining business relationships has become a household name in many organisations. With this change within the business environment it is more evident that soon to be graduates need to be taught how to sell and work within a sales environment.

The question then, does the art of selling fit well within the classroom? It is believed by those in the industry that sales requires practice and real life experiences to be successful. The theory behind however it is some thing that can be taught through workshops and sales training, I believe that if  these elements were included in the course content of a management degree they would complement many other modules such as entrepreneurship giving every graduate the foundations for their future career path.

The not so amazing deal that we think we are getting.

Imagine the situation, your looking for an easy lunch-time snack on the run and you have just popped into your local supermarket looking for something quick to eat. You fancy a meal deal, you pick up 'what you think' are the inclusive items in the deal, but when you get to the checkout you are sometimes stung over how much you are paying for your meal deal, as it was wrongly assigned on the shelf. 

As we become more money rich and time poor ready to eat foods have become an increasing convenience in our household diet and we are prepared to pay through the nose because it is there, ready  now.

The Not so Amazing Deal: Supermarkets tend to charge higher prices for multi-buy items when they would work out cheaper separately. Whose to Blame?

As well as being stung, in a recent report, the Office for Fair Trading suggests that 'misleading advertising of prices, however, may lead to consumers spending more than they need to... but buying a product which is not the best for them may add to wastage of time or suffering annoyance, disappointment or regret that you bought that item in the first place.

On the other-side of the coin should the consumer be to blame for the supermarkets poor marketing tactics, it is of my opinion that supermarkets often want us to be caught out, buying on deal, often become more expensive when you buy them together rather than separately but because we are too busy to work out the unit cost we fail to recognize this fact. 

Moreover with supermarkets becoming more like department stores, there is an increasing amount of advertising developed to attract consumers to money saving offers, triggering messages such as Special Offer, Double Discount, Reduced Rate, often do more harm than good and we tend often to avoid them in the supermarket. As John Bridgeman, former head of the Office of Fair Trading says "We've got to do much better at giving people the information they need to buy carefully, properly and secure value." 

So there it is, should we do more to know what we are paying for? Or should the supermarkets repeat quality audits on their labeling systems to make sure they are 100% up to date with the offer. 

Are we really ready for the Olympics?

2012 is officially here, with just over 6 months to go until the Olympics London is planning for one of its busiest years. The last time London hosted the Olympics was in 1948, where a total of 59 nations took part. The limelight will be on London from the 27th July 2012 - 12 August with the  Paralympics to be held a month later in the Capital. 

With the main stadium slowly close to completion Britain prepares itself for an influx of over 500,000 tourists in the space of two months. However the question that's on everyone's mind is - Is Britain actually ready to give the world the greatest Olympic experience ever?

Transport?

Remember when Heathrow Terminal 5 first opened? What a chaos, but imagine that on a much larger scale. 1/2 million items of luggage will make it an extremely demanding role for any baggage handler over the Olympic period. Yet alone getting that luggage to and from hotels & apartments at the Olympic park. 

The tube network will be jam packed, the daily commute in and around London will be awash with thousands of extra passengers all frantically trying to get their destinations. It is estimated that an extra 2,000 services will be introduced when the games are on, with an additional 1,500 for the  Paralympics . David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail, said: “Our job during games time is to provide smooth, seamless journeys for spectators travelling to and from Olympic and Paralympic venues, whilst continuing to offer the service which keeps millions of people moving across Britain each day.” 

The road network especially the main arteries to and from the Olympic are chaotic already on a daily basis. I for one know that a single accident on the M25 can cause widespread delays to thousands of commuters within a short space of time. How will authorities be able to manage these delays and more importantly keep traffic moving? 

Security?

Terrorism will be at the forefront of security. The very next day after it was announced that London was to host the Olympic games 7/7 occurred. The threat for terrorism is still strong and we must be more vigilant than ever during the Olympics.    

However an issue that surrounds the subject of security at the games is that our police force is more stretched than ever, budget cuts have forced many bobbies off the beat. Chief Constable, Peter Fahy states  that (police) 'are working well beyond maintainable limits and they cannot sustain this pressure much longer.... the most difficult year in history for the police service'. With the Olympics posing yet more disorder and a potential risk to our national security, there are doubts in peoples minds as to whether we are ready for this and have the available resources to manage. 

Ready for Lift Off: Britain prepares as the world expects. 

Tickets or Lack of them? 

Over 8.8 million tickets went on sale to the British public. In retrospect just under 10% of the entire population of the UK had an opportunity to get hold of tickets for this once in a lifetime event. The lucky dip draw for tickets caused widespread public anger even though it was deemed to be the most fairest way of distributing tickets...But that's a story for another day. 

What is difficult to predict is how many of these tickets will be sold onto corporate organisations for sponsorship deals. There is also increased speculation that tickets could make there way on to the black market which will make it difficult to predict how many tickets will actually fall into real passionate Olympic fans; while the rest of us either watch the games or abandon them completely. 

Hotel Infrastructure?

Hotel's are expected to reach maximum capacity during the games, many of which are charging exceptionally high prices for rooms. London already has some of the most expensive already hotel rooms Europe, sure they are lavish but will they provide the unique experience that tourists will be looking for? Even more so will hotels be able to manage demand from the vast number of tourists expected in the capital. 

There is also the idea of home owners renting out rooms to visitors, Just like the Royal Wedding, thousands of us prepare to rent out our spare rooms for the two period. 

Legacy for the Future?

Building a sustainable legacy was paramount in London getting the games. But with many doubts over what some of the infrastructure will be used for is of great concern to many. Some of the stadiums including the Basketball Arena are to be recycled or sold off. What people don't want to see though is the Olympic Park like many others before them, becoming a White Elephant. 

Youth unemployment is at is highest level for years and the Olympics is the widely seen as the opportunity to give passionate, keen games makers and teenagers the stepping stones to get these skills and move further up in the career ladder. Whether or not the Olympics will be seen like this is a different matter and whether the right jobs will fall to the much needed will only become clearer closer to the time.  

Additionally numerous studies and statistics have been bandished about how the green the games will be. But whether the numbers reflect this will only be apparent only when the games have finished. 

National Mood?

With everything the games will only be the best if the nation embraces the festivities. This will ultimately boil down to the level of interaction with the games. If you were one of the lucky ones who managed to get tickets to the Olympics you will excited about the opportunity of witnessing what one would expect to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Yet, what about the people didn't get tickets or even tried and were unfairly ruled out? Then there will be relative negativity towards the games, expecting hundreds of thousands of tourists turn up in your backyard, will certainly clog up the roads and cause havoc on the tubes.

Whether you like it or not the Olympics are coming to London its part of living an Olympic country, whether we are ready or not.

What do you expect of the London Olympics?

Crisis Management: A Case of the Costa Concordia

Just over 7 days the Carnival owned cruise ship the Costa Concordia ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, Italy. Whilst rescue workers are working around the clock to find the missing the repercussions of the disaster begins as operators begin to piece together the frantic jigsaw of what actually went on. The disaster being billed as the biggest maritime disaster since the Titanic was carrying over 4,000 passengers on board many of them couples and families looking forward to their week long cruise experience. No one expected it to go so badly wrong.  

Speculation is rife about what actually went on, with the captain the main subject of the investigation, being hang out to dry by the company and being placed under house arrest. The captain will have crucial evidence  to what truly went on, but what about other individuals on board. How can a captain of this magnitude of ship be entirely to be blame for the disaster. Whilst the speculation has mainly focused on the captain it would be interesting to know what other senior officials were doing on board. 

Speculation: As passengers begin to reflect on the disaster, investigators begin to piece together what actually went on. 

Source: eandt.theiet.org

Several television clips of the disaster have showed videos filmed by cruise members on board, not only giving first true hand footage of what actually went on, but removes any hearsay so common in disasters of this magnitude. The footage also provides excellent evidence against crew members and the crisis management techniques deployed by Costa Cruises.  

The ability to identify the truth in this type of disaster is crucial, with the truth often difficult to identify, newspapers and the media are commonly left to interpretation, creating more speculation and often misleading articles. This not only hampers investigation efforts but harms potential victims who may or may not have been found yet. 

Finally the scale of Costa Cruises parent company, Carnival, owners of the likes of Cunard and P&O cruises, means that smaller errors of judgement are normally widened to the public eye and blown out of proportion in circumstances such as this. In hindsight however the pressure of working for such a high profile organisation comes with the job and there is little the captain could do to hide away from this fact. 

The New Year Diet

The period of Christmas has been and gone and the majority of us are ready to kick start that new years habit that we have been trying to do for years but for some reason we get to mid January and we can't help but open up a box of chocolates and you say to yourself I will only have one, just one, one turns to two, two turns to four and before you know it the whole box has gone and the kick  start to the new year has suddenly gone all pear shaped. 

We are so impressed with the marketing and the powerful message that Gym's encourage us to sign up. Common sayings amongst friends and relatives begin with 'I am going to get fit'. Type Fit into Google not only will you get some wonderful and weird sites, but hundreds of websites promoting that chic lifestyle. In truth when we suddenly think of getting fit, we think of diets, straining ourselves from common food stuffs, that we have had too much to graze on over the previous months. Whether we are out their to impress our latest crowd or to get to that dress size you have always wanted, diets have been around for a while. 

Source:  helpfulhealthtips.com
Diets doesn't have to mean celery sticks, and carrots.

The superstores are offering reduced prices on gym equipment we would never think of buying, but because its January, the idea of looking trim for the summer promotes in that urgency that I should do something about it. Whats more bookshops are full of text books written promoting the best way to loose weight but how do we know which one is really the right one, a recommendations, sometimes, maybe a coupon. In my honest opinion, we don't, we do it because the person who wrote it has the willpower to suck you into their world of thinking, 'Buy my book and get that body you have always wanted'. 'slim down for summer' 'the bikini body'. How does the writer know what you look like, ever more what you want, he doesn't he just wants you to get into his world of thinking. Whats more they are full priced before Christmas because know one will buy them and after Christmas you can get them for the same price as a loaf of bread, some sort of practical joke. 

Gyms are at it to, promoting that chic lifestyle that you have always dreamed of having, just a few moments a way. You think to yourself this year I will join a gym? Before you know it you have stopped attending yoga classes because you had too much on at work you couldn't find the time to make it to them. Whats more your in one year contract that you can't get out of, but you never knew you were in it in the first place when you signed up because the salesman offered you a reduced booking fee and you forgot to read the small print. 

In truth, everyone is different, everyone needs different foods to energize the body. If we all stuck to a less of more philosophy then we wouldn't be in this situation. Every beginning of the year we lead ourselves into this false imaginary world that this year will be the year that makes all the difference. Before you know it the summer has been and gone and winter is upon us again.