One of the issues which we must address in the new year, both as individuals and as a nation, is productivity – or lack thereof – in contrast with the lavish lifestyles that we lead. If not, we may be doing so at our own peril. We must focus on this theme if we are to make a success of the new year and turn our country around into an economic miracle of southern Africa. For too long we have been living in the economic shadow of our giant neighbour in the south, like fish in a pond without much worry that it may dry up some day. True, our country has devised an economic master plan or blueprint in the form of Vision 2030 and National Development Plans (NDP1 and 2), but there are missing links. Some of the pieces are not in place. These missing components include human capital, a key factor in driving the process of economic development. Such human capital should not only possess the requisite skills but also the right frame of mind and work ethics to jump-start and unlock our economic potential. This year and subsequent ones must witness a significant movement in the direction of addressing the shortcomings that impede the speedy implementation of Vision 2030. Only by becoming results-oriented can we hope for success. We have to set realistic benchmarks for the attainment of the goals of Vision 2030. We must be in a position to measure our success or failure each time we enter into a new year and adjust our policies and strategies through appropriate reviews. On the other hand, a nation that consumes more of what it does not produce is destined for failure. We seem to be preoccupied with the conspicuous consumption of material goods but less so on the demand to become more productive and frugal. This is dangerous. We have to change tack and become modest in the way we lead our lives. We have to become a nation of producers rather than mere consumers of goods we do not produce. Many of our people, whether rich or poor, are in the habit of showcasing their “success” in life by the display of the material goods they have acquired. There is an unhealthy competition among peers to shop for the latest model and often it is those in the low- and middle-income groups who lose the race because of the stiff debts they cannot afford to service. This is contrary to our traditional norms where one’s success or fruits of labour were always kept away from the prying eyes of outsiders. In the past, some of our traditional communities used to erect their homesteads or keep their animals in non-transparent enclosures as a safeguard against those who may have been driven by curiosity to know what they possessed. One’s wealth was treated as a secret, never to be divulged or displayed for public view. It was almost taboo in the past for people to tell or show strangers – let alone neighbours – what they owned. The measure of one’s success in life was simply the ability to feed and care for one’s family. There was no need to show off. Strangely, many of the goods we like to show off as a sign of our success in life today are not earned through sweat and toil but through borrowing, so-called right connections and even outright theft; hence, our lifestyles are superficial and unsustainable. This begs the question: Why borrow so much to finance expensive lifestyles that are not sustainable? Where does the wisdom lie? For as long as we do not generate enough wealth, either as individuals or as a nation, the temptation to live expensive lifestyles is simply not realistic and could prove lethal. Therefore, 2007 should become a year of change. We must all seek to produce more and, at the same time, lead modest lives. Modesty is not synonymous with failure. It is actually a measure of success, and a virtue.