Routine, consistency and breaking the cycles. Includes 4 steps to productivity
By: Wilberforce Seguton
Tags: Spiritual Growth, Workplace, Startup Life, Productivity, Workout

Photo by Avi Richards on Unsplash

A standard routine is a catalyst for consistency. Having one is healthy and can spur you towards attaining your goals. Consistency is something I believe in and deeply value. In fact, I have a morning routine that sets the tone for my day.

Here is my daily routine which I do weekdays,5 days a week. My day starts as early as 4:30 AM(I vary this slightly by minutes). It starts with prayer which can last between 20–30 minutes. After that, I read and meditate on a few scriptures, sometimes I can read a whole chapter. This is followed by a 20-minute workout then I head for a quick cold shower. After that, I dress up for the day then fix and take breakfast (Most of the time black coffee with accompaniment) and I am ready to start my day!

I usually try not to rush to social media or check emails first in the morning. I make this intentional so as to conserve my energy and focus. I like quiet mornings.

I have followed this routine for some time now and my productivity has always been at an all-time high. However, lately, I have been experiencing fatigue and a general lack of interest. I wondered to myself what could be the cause of this flippant attitude.

I came to learn that it was my body system i.e. my mind, body and spirit telling me that I needed to shock the system. My whole being was giving me cues, to break the cycle and do something entirely different.

Upon listening to the cues my body was giving, I noticed that consistency can sometimes be counterproductive as much as it is beneficial. For example, I noticed my creativity did not have a spark. I also noticed I lost interest very quickly in tasks, fatigue set in quickly. It was then that I know it was time for a break.

For me taking a break is difficult. Especially when I have been on a roll for such a long time. I have also noticed that taking can sometimes guilt you because there is always something that needs to be done. I have experienced this many times. I am sure many entrepreneurs and workaholics out there have experienced this feeling of guilt before just as I have.

Resting when tired is human and should be encouraged more. Feeling guilty about resting doesn’t come from a healthy place. I believe it comes from a point of insecurity of wanting to always be in control, outwork others, total disregard to your health or even so that one can compare themselves with others. You have to remember that working and productivity is not a competition or show off. it is the output that matters. I am grateful that I have confronted this and I am no longer a prisoner of that feeling.

How did I break my consistent cycles?

Before I used to work during the weekends and Sunday afternoons. Besides, I used to overextend myself after work till 11 PM and I would still wake up early in the morning as usual.

One day I experienced burnout exhibited by frustration and anxiety. It was bad and I wasn’t sleeping well at night. Some nights would be dominated by anxiety and panic attacks. I knew it was time to make a change and I did four things that changed my life:

Prayer and morning devotion

This is my first activity of the day where I get spiritual nourishment. All human beings are spiritual beings. The physical aspect of a human being is just one part of it. There is the spiritual person; mind and soul as well.

I feed my spiritual being through prayer, reading the bible and positive affirmation of self. This usually sets the tone of the day. It makes me fullfilled and connected.

Working out

Every day, I spend tonnes of hours seated working on my computer. On average, that is about 13 hours a day. Less than an hour is spent standing or doing any physical work. Before incorporating workouts I noticed I had developed bad posture, backaches sometimes and suffered fatigue quickly which then led to stress and anxiety.

To counter this, I introduced daily workout routines. I do this every morning for about 15–25 minutes. It has changed my life. I feel better, healthier and fitter. My day and productivity has more than doubled and most of all I sleep better :)

Sleeping early and consistently

If there is one place where consistency has no side effect is in the area of sleep. I sleep and wake up at almost the same time every weekday. My sleeping time is around 10:45 PM and I wake up around 4:30–4:45 AM. That guarantees me at least 6 hours of sleep at a minimum and I wake up charged. During weekends I sleep and extra hour or two just to make it up for the week.

Previously, I have had erratic sleep patterns. I noticed that these inconsistencies usually make my day lethargic and dull. Having a consistent sleep pattern has become key to my productivity

Delegate responsibility

I had to learn this the hard way because I am a very hands-on person. I also like when things are done fast and my way. I noticed this usually led to feelings of being overwhelmed which then lead to frustration. I have learned to delegate most of the tasks which do not require my critical input. By doing this, I have found that I have more time to do important things I should be focusing on, I also get to do other activities for personal growth and also rest. It is also one of the ways one can build trust and develop other leaders. I am glad my team have stepped up to this and together we can achieve more.

In conclusion, I have learnt that there is no one way to your productivity hack. Employ tactics that work for you. Above all remember that rest is beneficial, required by every living creature and it is Holy.