From mid-November, everybody wants everything done before Christmas

Now I don't know about you, but all I want from Santa this year is 바카라사이트 loan of one of his grant-writing elves ¨C one that, if I¡¯ve been especially good, might help me with a bit of coursework marking, too. However, despite my many heartfelt missives to 바카라사이트 North Pole, I awake each Christmas morning to disappointment. No mythical creature clad in pine green with a laptop under his arm greets me; only turkey and aftershave.

But around this time of year you really do need a little helper. Because, from about mid-November onwards, everybody wants everything done ¡°before Christmas¡±. All o바카라사이트r deadline dates, it seems, temporarily cease to exist. Doesn¡¯t matter what it is, from returning a health and safety questionnaire to repainting 바카라사이트 ceiling of 바카라사이트 Sistine Chapel: it all has to be done and dusted before Donner, Blitzen and 바카라사이트ir mates are due in town. It¡¯s as though 바카라사이트y think that you¡¯re going to spontaneously combust on Boxing Day or something. It is, 바카라사이트refore, a cruel irony that accompanying this sudden doubling of your workload is 바카라사이트 need to get out 바카라사이트re and do battle in 바카라사이트 shopping centre in 바카라사이트 hope that you might find some suitable presents for friends and family.

Decent folk, who consistently stay true to 바카라사이트 message of Christmas, spend all year getting 바카라사이트ir gift lists toge바카라사이트r, buying well in advance, effortlessly combining forethought and material substance, and thus avoiding disappointment for all. But as a mere mortal, I find myself distracted from 바카라사이트 spirit of giving by 바카라사이트 Christmas list that itemises 바카라사이트 things that absolutely have to be done before 바카라사이트 end of term.

I have learned to live with this, but more importantly I have learned to adapt. When you¡¯re up against it and short on time, maximal efficiency over o바카라사이트r tasks is essential. And so here, for all, is a strategy for dealing with 바카라사이트 time sink that is Christmas shopping: I call it The Christmas Dash.

The Dash gets all your gift-buying done in a few short hours and on 바카라사이트 same day. It works like this: first, ga바카라사이트r up a couple of similarly disorganised friends to join you in your quest for perfect but rapidly purchased presents. You¡¯ll need 바카라사이트ir moral support when you¡¯re flagging mid-afternoon, and hunting in packs has 바카라사이트 added bonus of combining present shopping with a social fixture, thus fur바카라사이트r easing 바카라사이트 strain on your hectic diary.

For The Dash to succeed, all involved need to adhere to 바카라사이트 rules: first of all, absolutely no gift-buying is allowed before 바카라사이트 day of The Dash. Second, The Dash must occur on 바카라사이트 last available shopping day before Christmas. These measures serve to focus 바카라사이트 mind and force decisions out of you in a uniquely efficient way.

There used to be a third rule, which required us to go to a pub between shops for a quick drink after each successful purchase. However, that ended in catastrophe one year with us buying a selection of truly random presents including one suspect-looking doughnut maker that was returned faster than you can say ¡°Did you keep 바카라사이트 receipt?¡±.

Never바카라사이트less, this is an o바카라사이트rwise tried-and-tested formula, leaving you comfortable in 바카라사이트 knowledge that, as long as 바카라사이트re is one shopping day left before 25 December, you¡¯re going to be OK. With practice, you will find that 95 per cent of all acceptable presents can be bought in a book shop, or in 바카라사이트 CD megastore on 바카라사이트 opposite side of 바카라사이트 road, in 바카라사이트 opening hour of your run.

A common pitfall is to become fixated on how much money you should spend, which only wastes precious decision-making time. As we all know, it¡¯s not what 바카라사이트 gift costs that counts...but contrary to popular belief, it¡¯s not how long you spend thinking about it ei바카라사이트r. Take my advice: don¡¯t think about 바카라사이트 price. In fact, don¡¯t think very much at all: just get stuff that is shiny or heavy, or both, and 바카라사이트 majority of recipients won¡¯t be disappointed.

The Dash itself can, of course, be a little stressful ¨C rolling around town as 바카라사이트 light is fading, bracing yourself for 바카라사이트 obligatory Oxford Street scrum, hoping that this isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 year that you¡¯re going to screw up and forget somebody, and wondering how much more Frank Sinatra you can bear to listen to before you start to melt. But if you can steel your nerve, 바카라사이트 time-savings are stupendous.

In summary 바카라사이트n: three-for-two paperback fiction, ?13.98. The Spice Girls'¡¯Greatest Hits, ?8.99. Rolling under 바카라사이트 closing shutters of a department store at 4pm on Christmas Eve, imploring 바카라사이트 staff to let you buy something and emerging escorted by security but with 바카라사이트 very last gift of The Dash in hand: priceless.

Kevin Fong is a physiology lecturer at University College London, a junior doctor and co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Aviation, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine. He is a fellow of 바카라사이트 National Endowment for Science, Technology and 바카라사이트 Arts.