The first time I had an experience of driving a car was when my uncle, who was a large truck driver, offered to teach me. That day, he returned home with a small bus. It had a manual driving stick. He had been helping his friend to drive it at work. 

It was a manual car, and the training was for about two hours. I loved the experience, but it was too brief to be deeply engraved in me. I never got another chance to practise driving, so I forgot everything my instructor taught me that day. 

That experience brought a bug in me to love cars, everything about them. The adrenaline of passing other cars, the speed, the mechanics, the petrol or diesel, and more. 

Five years passed again until I had a chance to drive a car. First, I got it from a friend who, in the second year he bought his small red Mazda, imported it from Japan. He became my inspiration to buy it while at university and to drive the car with ease. 

He took me to a quiet road one evening, and he gave me a simple instruction about cars and let me do my thing. Five years had passed since the last time I experienced driving a car, and it was a manual car. This one was an automatic, small, and smooth car. 

It was a few minutes of driving, but it brought back memories. It also made me want my own car before I graduated from university. He guided me on importing cars from Japan and financing them. It ended there. 

I had a real plan for getting a car, and I was so excited to learn to drive that I told almost everyone. I imagined that when my imported car came from Japan, I would take the keys, turn it on, and drive it back home on my own. 

On my birthday during my second year at university, my friend Jacqueline, who had a car, surprised me. She lied to me that we were going on a lunch date; then I found myself in the empty grounds of Tanganyika Packers, Kawe.

She got out of the driving seat, removed the car keys and handed them over to me for driving. “Hey birthday boy, here you are,” she said, handing me the keys. 

“Turn the ignition on, press the big pedal on the left, that is the brake. Shift the gear selector to ‘D’ for driving, then slowly release the brake pedal,” she said. 

That was a more detailed and fun drive I had than the previous two drives I had. The fact that I was more excited about driving and that I had actual plans to import my car contributed to it. I also think that having a woman as a teacher was a bonus, who knows?

If you’ve learnt to drive, you know the issue isn’t just about turning on the car or finding the brake and gas pedals. It’s often the confidence to do all that while watching other cars and following the rules.

When my car came, I forgot everything that I had been shown a year ago. I boldly told the driver to drop me at the fuel station. I thought I could drive to where I was staying on my own.

I spent three hours at the fuel station. I was trying to switch on the lights, release the handbrake, and get the car moving. It never moved. 

One of the guards came to my rescue when he saw me there for a long time. He only helped me to remove the handbrake, though, because I did not want to tell him that I did not know how to drive.

Well, my phone was off due to low battery; hence, I could not even Google the tiniest details. I gathered the courage, I held the full light handle and let the car go. I knew the hazard light button and I turned that on. I’m not sure how I got that car to the parking area where I stayed. I felt there were more chances of ending up at the hospital or the police than there.

I decided to practise driving every evening after work. This will help me gain confidence and learn the basics. I was googling stuff and watching YouTube videos, then practising. I was parking the car at Ardhi University and went to practise at the University of Dar es Salaam and return. 

I did that for more than three weeks until I used up the fuel in the car, which meant I had to take the car to the fuel station.

That is where I had to gather my courage again to take the car on busy roads. I had better control and confidence this time. And that made me feel prepared to drive on those roads often.

I kept on practising the driving, on my own as much as I could. I started going to further places and had all the experiences of the car at all speeds and roads. A few months in, I felt accomplished.

I started being more confident on the road. I did not have a fear of other cars. I stopped being afraid of big trucks or reckless bus drivers. I had the courage to stick to my lanes when I knew the rules were with me. I started overtaking cars in tight positions and more.

And then a few years later, it started to be boring. There was nothing new in driving cars. I changed my car, drove other people’s cars, but I did not get the same satisfaction as I did in the beginning.

Now the driving was more about moving from one place to another. The car was more of a tool rather than an experience. And that is where I realised that I am a successful car driver. I started exploring driving manual cars, bikes, and anything in between that I could get my hands on.

And I realised that most things in life become boring when you master them. If you play games and master them, they become boring. If you are learning something new and you master it, it becomes normal and boring. If you are doing your job and you have mastered it, the processes and procedures become boring.

Successful businesses can seem boring. They have clear procedures and manuals for every task. They follow routines and maintain a solid organisational structure. They also enjoy repeat clients and more. Startups are exciting but very chaotic. If you want to build a successful business, then know it will be boring. 

Successful relationships can seem boring. They often follow a predictable pattern in what the couple does, where they go, and how they argue. They know each other’s interests, trigger points and needs. They don’t get so happy or so sad. They have routines. New relationships are the ones with so much drama. The highs are high, and the lows are low. If you want to build a successful relationship, then know it will be boring. 

Successful training and working out are boring. The people who are in shape, fit and healthy tend to have a boring schedule and diet. They do the same exercises, at the same times and routines. They have the same types of foods and drinks. Unfit and unhealthy people often enjoy fun workouts each day. They also try exciting foods for lunch or dinner. 

Natural growth after success means gradually building on that solid, yet simple success. It’s about not shaking things up too much or too quickly. Successful businesses tend to explore new products and new markets slowly. 

The only way to keep on growing is to seek more challenges and growth. When you notice you’re on autopilot and everything flows well, it shows you’re successful and at ease. Get ready to go to the next level.

If you want success, remember that it will be boring. 

#iThinkSo

May you be happy.

May you be healthy.

May you be free from suffering.

May you find peace and joy.

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Rogers Katuma

Financial Artist, Senior Adventurer, Occasional Storyteller, Amateur Golfer, Baby Pianist, and Rookie Chessman.