It's so unfair, battling every year through the cold, dark days of December and fighting the temptation of the advent calendar at the same time. Slightly over the top? Not a bit of it, as millions of adults – and kids - all over the world will easily testify.

Although advent calendars are simple in design, the user interface – to use a computer analogy - is deceptively simple, brightly coloured, alluring, inviting an almost certain action which, each time, is reinforced by a delicious, chocolate reward. Sneaky, or what? Let's face it, you ain't got a chance!

I mean, do you actually know of anyone who has ever religiously opened the little cardboard window or door on queue, every day, and then stopped, defying the laws of physics and the temptation either side of it? Well, neither have I. It's impossible.

Fair enough, you may start out intending to just open one little window or door and that's it. So you tuck the calendar safely away out of sight and get on with doing something else. Know what I'm talking about? But you know it's there, always lurking somewhere in the back of your mind, and the big day is still a very long way off. By coincidence, you pass by it a couple of times. Maybe you'll even pick it up and go through each of the days until Christmas in your mind, imagining what's behind each little cardboard flap.

No, I'm stronger than this, you say to yourself, as you place the box down once more and walk away. That's maybe when you begin to think a little bit strategically. Hey, I could have the best of both worlds here. All I have to do is ignore the advent calendar for a week and then gorge on seven day's worth of chocolate goodies. Great idea. No guilt, either.

Plan B looks good, too. Crafty might be a better way of describing it. Buy a second calendar on the quiet. But get the excuses ready. It's for my niece, my nephew, my pet goldfish should the shop assistant suspect such a delightfully wicked plan and drop the odd comment or two amongst the Yuletide banter.

Place one of the calendars on the living room table, or somewhere where it's in full view of everyone. Show the world what willpower you have as you dutifully down just the one daily morsel of chocolate. The other calendar, of course, is stashed away, well out of sight, yours to greedily consume whenever the mood takes you. Cunning.

Stop! Look at yourself. You're turning into some kind of devious, chocolate-munching monster. But that's what the power of the advent calendar can do to even the sanest of us. Resistance is futile. Better to give in and just scoff the lot. Let's face it, there's always next year.