You would expect that the stress of waking up early and the hustle on Lagos roads are enough to keep anyone alert and ready for work. Not me. I’m never able to have a jumpstart unless I do my daily ritual of Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-one as I walk up the stairs to the third floor of Heirs Towers.
This healthy habit started way back in 2019, and no, unlike what you may think, it wasn’t because of fit-fam. It is because of my impatience. Back in 2019, I worked in one of the tall buildings in Marina, one with 16 floors. Back then, every morning, I had to wait for minutes, along with other colleagues, to use the elevator. I soon got tired of the wait, and then one day, I thought to myself, “the stairs won’t be bad,” and that was it. I started walking up the stairs every morning to my office on the tenth floor. I did this every morning without fail!
And as I continued, I realised that this long often lonely walk could be channelled better, so I began to deliberately use it as a ‘me-time’. I would use the time to mentally prepare myself for the day; I would analyse my tasks and all my to-dos in my head. I would decide, during my short sojourn, what is and isn’t necessary and sometimes, who to greet, who not to greet and how to greet the ones who made the list.
I have earnestly continued this practice at Heirs Insurance where I work as Lead, Corporate Communications and trust me it still works. The only but is that my office is on the third floor, so I have only Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One steps and I am already there. It used to be fun when I newly resumed and didn’t have as much on my plate but now, the steps aren’t enough any longer, but you know, the third floor is better than no floor.
Maybe someday, my wish for a higher floor will be granted, but for now, I have learnt to make the best of my Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One.
Nice!