Productivity

25
Apr
2019
How to get more out of reading a book

How to get more out of reading a book

Reading often is one of the best habits you can develop. By reading a book a month, you can increase your knowledge at a much faster pace than most people. Reading gives you an edge over those who don’t read.

But not everybody who reads books gets a lot of knowledge out of their books.

For some people, by the time they have finished reading one book, they have forgotten the content of the book they read before that. If you want to avoid falling into this trap, pay attention to the following advice.

1. Have a goal for each book

Before reading any book ask yourself ‘what do I want to get out of this book’ and work towards that goal while reading the book. For example, when you decide to read ‘Getting The Barakah‘ do so with the intention of mastering time management. This will be much more beneficial than just reading it for fun or to just get it over with.

Once you have a goal, you can now focus on trying to achieve that goal. You can put systems in place to measure how close you are to achieving that goal, and to follow up on whether you were able to achieve the goal after finishing the book.

More examples of goal setting when reading a book:
1. I am reading this Tafsir book to get a better understanding of the Quran.
2. I am reading this money management book so that I can become more financially mature.
3. I am reading this fiction book to stimulate my imagination and help me think of new ideas.

2. Engage with the book

This may sound like a weird idea, but it works really well. Every time you come across an important passage in the book that you find hard to understand, take the time to engage with the book. Repeat what you read out loud. Ask questions about what you read out loud. Write down the point in your own words. Engage with the book as if it is a dialogue and you will find yourself benefiting a lot more from reading that book.

For example: If you read a passage explaining a new system of time management, repeat the system out loud by saying, “So what the author is saying is…” If you can complete that sentence in your own words, it means that you have understood the passage well.

If the book is teaching a practical skill like writing or marketing, then take breaks from reading to practice. So you can read for 30 minutes, then practice for 30 minutes in order to make sure you are actually learning the skill.

3. Summarize the book

After completing the book, take some time to write a paragraph or page summarize the core message of the book in your own words. This will help you remember the message of the book long after you have completed reading it. And if you ever forget, you can just read the summary you wrote.

Writing a summary will also help you check whether you truly understood the book or not. If you can recap anything in your own words, it usually means you understood it well. If the book is really dense, then consider writing a summary of every chapter as well.

4. Recommend the book to a friend

If you found a book beneficial, then tell your friends and family about it. After all, if a book is beneficial, it deserves to be read by as many people as possible. But how would this help you remember the book better. Because when recommending the book to someone, you will need to recap the core lessons you learned from that book in order to sell them on it. This serves as a form of revision to further cement the topic in your head.

Are you ready to start reading more beneficial books? Then check out our eBook bundle for the perfect starting package.

Time Management eBook bundle
Click the image to check out the eBook bundle.
Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Books, Productivity
20
Apr
2019
It is okay not to be productive all the time

It is okay not to be productive all the time

It is okay. You don’t need to be productive and working all day long.

It’s fine.

Really, It is fine to take a break to watch a funny video.

It is fine to relax in the evenings in your family.

And it is absolutely fine to take a few days off for a vacation.

Growing up in a Capitalistic culture, many of us assume that life is all about work, money and productivity. But this is just one portion of life.

Life is really not all about work. There are many other aspects of being human. From worshiping the Creator, to spending time with family, to taking care of yourself. All of this is important.

So when it is time for work, do your absolute best, and produce the best possible results.

But when it is time for worship, family, fun or taking care of yourself, focus on that instead.

So if you feel guilty about enjoying some alone time, having fun or taking a break from work, don’t.

Just remind yourself that it is perfectly okay not to be productive all the time.

Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Productivity
16
Apr
2019
How to identify your Peak Performance Time

How to identify your Peak Performance Time

Have you ever noticed how your energy levels fluctuate throughout the day?

This is because we are all designed differently, and have different productive hours. Some people are able to get more done in the morning. Others are able to get more done in the afternoon. And some people are only productive late at night. This is known as one’s Peak Performance time.

In my book Getting The Barakah: An Islamic Guide To Time Management, I discuss the importance of utilizing your peak performance time for High Concentration tasks. This means scheduling the tasks that require the most brainpower for the times of the day when your performance is at its best.

In this article, I will explain the different types of performance times and how to identify yours.

Night Owls

The Four Types of People

When it comes to Peak Performance types, many people assume that there are only two types of people; night owls and early birds. In reality, there are four types of people: morning people, afternoon people, night people, and all-rounders.

Morning people are at their best between 5 am and 11 am. this is when they naturally get most of their work done. Afternoon people are sleepy in the mornings but are at their peak between 11 am and 5 pm. Night people get more done after 5 pm than during the day. And finally, the all-rounders can go at any time of the day.

It is very important to identify your peak performance time so that you can schedule more most important work for that time. For example, I am an afternoon person. So I schedule my lighter tasks for the morning. And I leave my afternoons for writing, lecturing, recording or working on my next big project. This way I ensure I am bringing the best version of myself to these important tasks.

Identify your peak performance time

How to identify yours

There are many ways to identify your peak performance time, but I’m just going to show you the easiest way. Simply keep track of your energy levels for a week and you will figure it out.

For one week, be alert regarding which times of the day you get an energy boost. If you find a consistent pattern, like every day around 3 pm, then that is your peak performance time.

If you find yourself getting waves of energy boosts throughout the day and night, then you are likely an all-rounder and one of the lucky few who has multiple peak performance times per day.

A night owl in the morning

What to do with this time

Simply put, once you identify your peak performance time, make adjustments to your schedule accordingly. If you discover that you are an afternoon person, and have been struggling to write every morning, move your writing time to the afternoon. (That’s what I did)

If you find yourself wide awake late at night but unable to get much done during the day, then schedule your most important work for an hour or two before sleeping. Not only will you utilize your peak performance time better, but you will use up that energy and help yourself fall asleep faster.

Peak performance time should be used for the most difficult work in your schedule. Anything that requires your full attention and maximum effort should be scheduled for this time. Doing so not only ensures the best quality work but also gets it done faster.

For example, if I write early in the morning, it may take me two hours to write 500 words. In an afternoon, however, I can write 1000 words in 30 minutes! So utilizing your peak performance time wisely benefits you in more ways than one.

To continue learning about peak performance, high concentration tasks and time management, grab your copy of Getting The Barakah: An Islamic Guide to Time Management today.

Getting The Barakah by Ismail Kamdar
Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Life Hacks, Productivity
07
Mar
2019
Hard Work is Hard…and Work

Hard Work is Hard…and Work

“I want to do it but it is too much work and too hard!”

It always baffles me when people say they want to accomplish great thing without hard work. Some people assume that there is a easy path to success. There isn’t.

There is no shortcut to success. (in any definition)

Whatever you wish to accomplish, there is only one way to do it: hard work.

If you want to go to Paradise, be prepared to work hard for it.

Do you want a successful business? You need to put in the necessary hard work.

What about a successful marriage? Again, it is all about hard work.

Even parenting, when done right, boils down to hard work.

But it is hard

Of course, it is hard. That is why it is called hard work.

Anything worth accomplishing is difficult to accomplish.

That is one of the things that makes victory so sweet. The fact that you overcame the difficulty.

Getting into Paradise means living through several tests of life, all of which are hard.

Succeeding at business means pushing through the difficult times and adjusting your strategies accordingly.

Making a marriage work can be very difficult, but is extremely rewarding when both parties work hard together.

And raising children properly is extremely hard work.

But it is too much work

No! It is the right amount of work.

Everything you want in life requires work, so be prepared for work.

Lazy people get left behind, but those who work achieve.

Do you want Paradise? Then work for it by doing good deeds.

A thriving business requires you to show up every day and work for it.

You need to constantly work on your marriage to make it something special.

And parenting is work. In fact, it may be the hardest work you ever do.

But it is also highly rewarding

We often complain about things being too hard or too much work. But we forget that these same things are also highly rewarding, and worth the hard work.

A successful business is worth working hard for.

The love and peace that a happy marriage provides is worth the work put into it.

Raising your children and helping them grow into amazing men and women is deeply satisfying.

But most of all, there is nothing more rewarding than reaching Paradise.

So put aside the excuses, and dedicate your life to hard work.

Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Productivity
25
Feb
2019

Sometimes procrastination and distractions are a good thing

I previously spoke about overcoming procrastination. But I need to admit something: I procrastinate daily…on purpose. And it really helps me get work done.

This may sound really confusing to folks to assume that procrastination is always a bad thing. However, my time management experience has thought me to embrace procrastination as another tool for productivity.

Don’t get me wrong. Procrastination can be really distracting and unproductive when left unchecked. But when done purposely, it can be very beneficial and productive. Here are some of the times I purposely procrastinate to stay productive.

When I need time to think

A lot of the work I do is mental work. It takes place in my head while I am busy with something else. I learned a long time ago that when I focus too much on trying to think up a solution, I get stuck. But if I leave it to go have some fun and relax, then a solution pops into my mind.

This is because is you think up a problem and then do something else, your subconscious works on the problems. And your subconscious is often better at thinking up solutions than your conscious. So yes, sometimes when I have a serious issue to deal with and solve, I may choose to sleep, drink coffee, play game or watch a funny YouTube video instead. And it often helps me find a solution.

When the timing isn’t right

We often try to rush things out the door as soon as we get new ideas. But sometimes an idea is ahead of its time and needs to incubate for a while before being released. In such situations, procrastination is key to success.

Even if your idea is 100% ready for release today, it may be better to delay the release date in order to test, fix and improve it. At the very least, to find a better timing for releasing it. Doing something right now isn’t always the best option.

When I know I’ll do a better job later

There are times of the day when we work better than others. For example, I write best in the afternoon. This is why even if I have time for writing in the morning, I’d rather have fun or relax. I leave my writing for the afternoon even if it means doing nothing for an entire hour in the morning.

The result: high quality writing during my peak concentration time. I get more writing done, faster, at a better quality because I left it for later. If you know you will be in a better state of mind to study, work or produce later in the day, then do not feel bad to put things off until later.

When I need an idea

Ideas don’t come to me when I am working hard or consumed by boring tasks. They pop into my head when I am relaxed or having fun. This is why I choose to distract myself when I need a new idea. I often find within a few minutes of relaxing or having fun a really good idea will come to mind…like writing this blog post. 🙂

So there you have it. Procrastination can be a part of productivity if done for the right reasons at the right time.

To learn more about time management, purchase our bestselling eBook here.

Procrastination Book
Posted by Ismail Kamdar in Productivity