A Disciplined Lifestyle

Before I matriculated at JKUAT in May 2007 to pursue an engineering degree, I went looking for piano-teaching jobs I could be doing over the weekends while at JKUAT in an attempt to imitate my immediate elder brother Paddy who juggled medical studies and work. As luck would have it, I landed two such jobs in a timely manner.

But alas! I gave up doing the jobs after my first semester at JKUAT. My lack of good social skills, coupled with the demanding nature of my engineering studies, are what led me to quit the jobs.

Perhaps due to the not-so-good experiences I had while teaching piano during my first semester at JKUAT, I didn't bother to look for work when we closed for a long holiday in December 2007. I just stayed at home over that four-month holiday.

Unenterprising though I was, I had some measure of discipline back then. I did a lot of reading and a bit of some farming during that long holiday. Then over the weekends, I commuted to All Saints' Cathedral in Nairobi where I enjoyed singing and fellowshipping with the cathedral's 9.30 a.m. English service choir.

It's not until I reported back to JKUAT in May 2008 for my second year that I started becoming undisciplined. I would skip classes, doze till as late as 12pm and withdraw from social activities, a behavior that compelled one psychiatrist to admit me to hospital.

After I was discharged from the hospital, I completely lost my bearings. I would do things without thinking of the consequences. And I would do what others instructed me to do as if I didn't have a brain of my own to think with.

What was even worse was the intense guilt I succumbed to at times. The guilt would make me feel as if I had committed the worst sins in life. It was such an intense guilt.

But slowly by slowly, I found my bearings. I engaged in activities that made me discover I had talents in music, writing, web-design, public-speaking and computer-programming. Engaging in those talents brought me immense joy and satisfaction.

Even though I came to enjoy exploring my talents, I must admit that I have found it hard to shed the load of indiscipline I picked up at JKUAT in 2008. There have been mornings I have overstayed in bed. And for me, overstaying in bed is getting up after the Sun has risen.

With time, I discovered that much of the guilt I used to feel was due to my lack of discipline. I have therefore come up with a plan of how I should spend my days as Talane Miedaner advises in her stirring book, Coach Yourself to a New Career.

My typical day begins by waking up at 5:30 a.m. After making my bed and praying, I settle down to read the previous day's newspaper. Then I engage in my talents for the rest of the day, with breaks to eat, bathe, wash my clothes and clean my room. And then at 5.00pm in the evening, I go jogging and walking to my hometown of Kiserian, after which I check my email and social media accounts till 9.00pm when I retire to bed.

That routine works for me. And it took me a long time to arrive at that routine. But I am glad it has brought me peace of mind at last. Whoever said "only the disciplined are free" was on point.

Because I believe there is no one-size-fits-all formula for success, maybe my routine might not work for you since you could be having different abilities, circumstances and opportunities. All of us are wired differently.

I therefore urge you, my beloved reader, not to make the mistake I did of imitating my immediate elder brother Paddy when I was matriculating at JKUAT in May 2007. Just come up with a disciplined lifestyle that feels natural to you. There is freedom in discipline!

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