Productivity

Jul

2019

4 Reasons Why I Love Mondays

I look forward to Mondays. I know that may seem strange and contrary to popular opinion, but I really do love Mondays. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy spending weekends with my family, relaxing and having fun. But at the same time, I often find myself planning my week, thinking up work ideas and gaining excitement to get back to work on Monday.

Why? Well here are a few reasons. Who knows. Maybe, by the end of this, I will convince you to love Mondays too.

1. Mondays are Productive

Mondays are often when I am at my peak creatively. Having rested and enjoyed the weekend, my mind is refreshed, recharged and full of ideas. My mind can’t wait to get started with work. As a result, I get a lot of work done on Mondays, and these tasks end up being of exceptionally high quality. So that is the first reason that I look forward to Mondays. By spending the weekend, resting and recharging, I am recharged and ready to do my best on Monday morning.

2. It sets the tone for the rest of the week

Getting into a state of flow can be tricky, but once you are in it, you can get a lot done in record time. That state of flow can then continue to flow into the next day and the day after. When people begrudgingly start work on Monday in a state of anger, it may take a few days to get into a state of flow. They may only enter this state by Wednesday or Thursday and as a result half the week is lost, every single week. That’s half the year wasting being in the wrong state of mind.

But if someone starts their Monday with excitement and enthusiasm, they can enter a state of flow on Monday. This can then flow throughout the entire week, causing them to be productive every single day until the weekend. Setting the tone for the rest of the week begins with getting high-quality work done on Monday. Do that, and the rest of the week will build upon it.

3. I am grateful for having sources of income

I am grateful that my Creator has blessed me with multiple streams of income. As an expression of that gratitude, I approach my work-week with excitement, love, and happiness. I am happy to work because I appreciate having work to do. I love Mondays because a busy Monday means I am generating income. And I am excited at the possibilities that the week can bring if I begin it in a state of happiness, love, excitement, and gratitude.

4. I love my work

I enjoy the work I do. I love teaching, writing, coaching, counseling and managing people. Every source of income that I have is based on something I genuinely enjoy doing. As a result, I look forward to work, and I am excited to get started every Monday. This makes all the difference in the world. When you love your work, you look forward to work-days. This, in turn, produces high-quality work and opens the doors to even better opportunities. When you find work that you love, you have to love Mondays because you spend it doing something you love.

Conclusion

These are four of the many reasons why I love Mondays. Mondays are productive. They set the tone for the rest of the week. I am grateful to have work to do, and I love my work. These reasons are enough to look forward to Mondays.

If you look forward to Mondays too, post a comment explaining why. If you don’t, I hope this article will inspire you to find a reason to love it.

Apr

2019

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.

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.

Dec

2017

4 Productivity Hacks to make you feel awesome

Hacks are awesome. They take things you never thought about and give them exciting new usages. Productivity Hacks do the same thing to our daily practices, habits and goals.

I get it.

Setting long term complicated goals can be very difficult. Accomplishing them can be even more difficult. But you don’t need long complicated goals to feel awesome. You just need to accomplish consistent daily goals, even if they are small.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah loves deeds that are consistent, even if they are small,” (Sahih Bukhari)

This Hadith applies to good deeds. Small regular good deeds (like reciting Quran for 10 minutes a day) build up to being more rewarding on the Last Day. Compared to once off big good deeds (like reciting entire Quran in one day then not reciting again for a year).

But we can take this same concept and apply it to productivity. Small consistent goals build up over time to help us accomplish more than once off grand gestures.

What do I mean by small goals?

Try these 4 productivity hacks for example!

1. Exercise for 5-10 minutes twice a day

Do you find it hard to exercise?

Do you get tired when thinking about hitting the gym for 30 minutes?

Try this hack instead: exercise at home in 5 minute bursts. And do it every few hours.

5 minutes may seem like too little, but it is better than nothing. And when done consistently, it builds up to a solid hour or so of exercise per week.

Which, lets face it, is far more exercise than you will get sitting at your desk all day. Not only will you feel healthier, but you feel more confidence and productive every time you do this.

2. Listen to a podcast on the way to work

Multi-tasking is not a good idea…most of the time. But there are times when it is an awesome idea.

If you spend a considerable amount of time daily stuck in traffic, why not use that time to educate yourself?

Download a playlist of beneficial audio podcasts and absorb them while driving to work and back. Suddenly, your mundane daily commute is transformed into an awesome educational experience.

Think about it, with just 30 minutes of podcast listening a day, you will gain around 100 hours of education a year! All without allocating any extra time to do it.

3. Batch all 2 Minute Tasks

In a previous article, I mentioned that 2 minutes tasks can be executed immediately to save time. Now here is a way to use this same tip to make yourself feel awesome: batch it!

Say you have 10 two-minute tasks in your to-do list. You actually just need 20-30 minutes to get all these tasks done. So batch them together and set aside 30 minutes to fly through the list.

Congratulations! You just ticked 10 tasks off your To-Do list in 30 minutes! How awesome does that feel?

4. Start your day with a list of mini-tasks

For this one, take the previous hack and start your day with it. For example, I like to start my day with a set of five simple goals. Each goal takes between 2 to 10 minutes to complete. Yet each is crucial for my daily motivation, mood, and productivity.

I like to start my day by flying through these five tasks. That way I start my day on a high note.

Within one hour of starting my day, I have knocked five tasks off my to-do list. And that way I start each day feeling awesome and motivated to take on the bigger tasks on my list.

Try it. Make a list of short, yet important, to-dos. And start your day by getting them all done. That way you begin each day feeling awesome!

To summarize

Our minds want to feel good. Yet often work makes it feel the opposite. You can trick your mind into feeling awesome while working by simply changing the way you work.

These four tips, all small yet powerful, can transform your daily routine. Try adding these to your routine today and experience an increase in awesomeness today!

Read this if you want more tips…

In 2014, I wrote a book dedicated to helping Muslims become more productive.
That book is entitled Getting The Barakah. It has sold 1000s of copies worldwide since.
But it is possible that you haven’t purchased and read it yet.

If so, you need to ask yourself why.
Why would you deny yourself access to all these awesome tools for improving your own self?

Don’t procrastinate any further!

Purchase your copy of Getting The Barakah today by clicking the link below.
Doing so will transform your life in more ways than you can imagine.

Purchase it now, and thank me later. 🙂

Buy Now

Apr

2016

Time is Rizq – A Different Perspective

Time is Rizq (An Extract from Getting The Barakah)

In order to truly appreciate the importance of time management, we must understand and acknowledge that time is a part of our Rizq. It is a resource that Allah has provide to us, just like our health and wealth. There are two special qualities about time that separate it from the other types of Rizq we receive:

Every human is provided with the exact same amount of time in a day.
Time is the only resource that is not renewable. Once it is used, it is gone forever.

Check out our Time Management Course

Each of the above points has a direct repercussion on the way we think about time. The following three points should make us realize how precious a resource our time really is:

As every human has the exact same amount of time per day as another, there is nothing we can do to increase our time, but we can have an edge over others is how we manage our time.
As time is not renewable, it would be foolish to waste it or kill it. Why waste a precious resource that you are never going to get back?
As we don’t know how much time we really have on this earth, can we really afford to waste time now and wait until later in life to do things that are important to us?

The Hadiths[1] related to time become very clear when we analyse them from this perspective. Reflect on the following Hadiths in light of the above:

Hadith 1:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِرَجُلٍ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ وَغِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغُلِكَ وَحَيَاتَكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ

“Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death” (Narrated by Ibn Abbas and reported by Al Hakim)

Author’s Reflection:

Everything mentioned in this Hadith is a type of Rizq: youth, health, wealth, free time and our life as a whole
Therefore we must be very careful in how we utilize each of the above
Notice that the Hadith mentions free time and not time as a whole. Due to the necessities of life, there are times in the day that we have to do certain things (Work, Salah) and we can’t use that time for anything else, so it’s really how we utilize our free time that matters.

Hadith 2

عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ

“There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.” (Bukhari 8/421)

Author’s Reflection:

This Hadith focuses on two resources: health and free time.
Both of these are necessary resources for doing good deeds. It is difficult to do good deeds without good health or enough time to do it properly.
These are two things that most people take for granted. For some reason, we don’t appreciate these blessings from Allah until they are taken away from us.
The best way to show appreciation to Allah for a blessing is to use it as a tool for good. Therefore, our free time must be utilized and we cannot allow it to be wasted.

Hadith 3

قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُؤْذِينِي ابْنُ آدَمَ يَسُبُّ الدَّهْرَ وَأَنَا الدَّهْرُ بِيَدِي الْأَمْرُ أُقَلِّبُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ

“Allah said, ‘The son of Adam wrongs me for he curses Ad-Dahr (Time); though I am Ad-Dahr (Time). In My Hands are all things, and I cause the revolution of day and night” (Al-Bukhari)

Author’s Reflection:

In this Hadith Al-Qudsi[2], Allah says that He is Time. The scholars clarify this to mean that time is controlled and provided to us by Allah. It is a blessing from Allah and so cursing it is like cursing Allah.
When we feel that time is slipping away and that we don’t have enough time to accomplish what we want in life, don’t curse time because you were given the same amount of time in a day as everybody else. Rather, take that moment to analyse how you spent your time and what you can do differently.

The above Hadiths all indicate the same thing, that the true believer understands the importance of time and refuses to waste it. It is a precious asset that is deteriorating every second, and so an hour wasted is an hour that we can never get back.

[1] Hadith: A narration containing information about what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said or did

[2] Hadith Al-Qudsi: A Hadith narration quoting Allah directly. It is considered a separate category from a Hadith quoting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Continue reading by purchasing the eBook:

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Productivity

4 Reasons Why I Love Mondays

1. Mondays are Productive

2. It sets the tone for the rest of the week

3. I am grateful for having sources of income

4. I love my work

Conclusion

How to get more out of reading a book

1. Have a goal for each book

2. Engage with the book

3. Summarize the book

4. Recommend the book to a friend

Sometimes procrastination and distractions are a good thing

When I need time to think

When the timing isn’t right

When I know I’ll do a better job later

When I need an idea

4 Productivity Hacks to make you feel awesome

4 Productivity Hacks to make you feel awesome

1. Exercise for 5-10 minutes twice a day

2. Listen to a podcast on the way to work

3. Batch all 2 Minute Tasks

4. Start your day with a list of mini-tasks

To summarize

Read this if you want more tips…

Time is Rizq – A Different Perspective

Time is Rizq (An Extract from Getting The Barakah)

Hadith 1:

Hadith 2

Hadith 3

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