Welcome back reader : )

ROUTINES, ROUTINES, ROUTINES. Let’s learn about how we Zimbabweans
approach this topic in this week’s short article.

Before we get started, let’s learn a few new Shona words:

Wadii –  The shona version of “Wassup.”

Zvakadhakwa – Means there
isn’t any good news / anything exciting to say about the topic.

ma1 – usually has the same
meaning as Zvakadhakwa. It could also mean that something (related to
the topic you are discussing about) is going horribly wrong.

So what do we Zimbabweans
do on a daily basis?

Well, we wake up - late as usual. I have noted that we aren’t very time
conscious. If a Zimbabwean says lets meet at 7am, what this means is I will
bath at 7am, and then we will  meet
around 7.45, or after 8 am if the traffic is bad.

After that waking up we either prepare for school or work (to avoid
confusion lets say informal work counts as work).  After we get to our places of work, or
school, we chat with our colleagues.

A typical conversation is as follows:

Chiratidzo: Wadiii? 

Rukudzo: Zvakadhakwa

Chiratidzo: haa ma1

.....

And then we spend 8 good hours or more scrolling on Instagram, having
meaningless conversations on Facebook, WhatsApp or in person either complaining
a little or complaining a lot about anything and everything, and then we head
back home.

After having a long and tiresome commute, we get back home, eat, finish
the unfinished tasks, go to bed, and get ready to repeat the same routine.

That’s an average routine for an average Zimbabwean.

THIS IS HORRIBLY BORING!

I was listening to a very good song – Everyday is Exactly the Same by a
group called Nine Inch Nails.

I only realized how similar an average Zimbabwean’s life is after
comparing the message of the song to my daily routine.  An average Zimbabwean wakes up, leaves home,
keep themselves busy during the day, and then comes back home after a very long
and exhausting day.

So what do we Zimbabweans do to entertain ourselves?

Well many watch television. They consume any content that is churned out
to them. Others watch movies either at a cinema or at home, some go out with
friends, some go clubbing, some go for roadtrips, the list is endless.

They do anything to engage themselves in a mindless activity and distract
them from the grim reality that their lives are horribly boring and need
fixing.

It is quite sad that this situation is quite similar to what happens all over the world.

Well I AM NOT SAYING that spending hours murdering your time watching content based on the crazy imagination of a person who is paid to play with your imagination in order for you to kill your dreams, and purpose for your life and create a giant void  IS BAD. NEITHER AM I SAYING that accepting all the garbage that is churned out to you on mainstream & social media which eventually drives you to buy items you don’t need to fill that emptiness that is present IS BAD.

All I am saying is that there are a set of activities that we can do to better our lives, and to help us break free from these boring, toxic routines that we currently have.

I remember having a conversation with an old, and rather wise man who explained how the whole work/school system was designed to kill people's creativity & thirst for growth and keep people enslaved. He went on to explain how there are lower-level slaves, mid-level slaves, and upper-class slaves. From his explanation, I learnt that the system was designed for us to create emptiness within us, become enslaved to a paycheck (or dream of one day graduating from school with distinctions and get a highly-paying job) to fulfill our never-ending desires (for more about this, google the term "lifestyle inflation") of items that we think will fill that emptiness and make us "happy", and pretty soon we end up living a life filled with meaningless routines and unproductive habits.

What can we do to lead meaningful lives with meaningful routines?

For starters you can read this maputiatota blog : ) I always deliver
content which is aimed at helping you live the best life you can possibly live
in Zimbabwe.

You can head over to motivational speaker’s YouTube channels – have a look at my previous article to get a list of my recommended sources of motivation.

Start a new good habit – that doesn’t involve listening to Zimdancehall
or anything related to it.

Identify those with skills/ qualities/ habits/ a character that you would
love to emulate, and act like a shadow – following them invisibly, learning
from them, and

Learn something new everyday. Just one thing is enough – the compounding
effect will take care of the rest.

Well that’s about it.

If you liked today’s article, leave a comment below and share the
article. If not, go ahead tell me why.

Just feel like saying Hi? Well go ahead, I don’t bite : ) I’m available
on:

Twitter @ maputiatota (I’ll be available on Instagram once I figure out how it works - if I ever manage to do so).

Peace be with you. See you next week!