Get.Set.Goal!

Who doesn’t want a meaningful life? Any rational person would want a life with a purpose. Although the aim might differ from person to person, the drive to live a substantially beneficial life is desired by all. Whether you aspire to be surrounded by luxury or aim to reach a certain level of spirituality, the urge to attain any goal manifests in a person’s zeal and the hard work they are prepared to do to acquire it. However, any struggle is pointless without an effective goal setting.

In my personal pursuit of learning various goal-setting techniques, I have come across quite a few goal-oriented exercises. However, I found most of them to be tedious tasks. They might be ideal for people without a million responsibilities of a varied nature, but they are not suitable for me. Therefore, I settled only for those methods that I knew could work for me as an individual and alhumdullilah they do.

Prevent Procrastination

I knew I had to begin my tafseer (explanation of the glorious Quran) at least a month before Ramadan started so that I could comprehend it without having to rush through it before Ramadan ended, because completing the Quran in Ramadan has many virtues and brings a sense of accomplishment and excitement, alhamdulillah.

However, this year I kept on procrastinating, delaying and thinking there was still time until Ramadan finally arrived. Instead of doing what I was supposed to do I kept fiddling with miscellaneous things that I presumed needed my immediate attention.

When Life Gives You Lemons

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” (Quran 2: 155)

Some of the most common situations amongst human beings are the trials and tests that they must go through in life but what makes one person different from another is how they react and respond to their specific problems.

It is inevitable that one who is encountering a difficult or tragic situation must struggle hard to curb the persistent negativity sprouting up from within and around him but what exactly is negativity? Negativity mostly starts with a stream of unpleasant thoughts and feelings that are left unresolved, which can lead to hostile behaviour, misplaced anger, frustration and anxiety, followed by erratic outbursts at anyone vulnerable such as, children, co-workers or friends which in turn results in feelings of regret, guilt or depression.

A Different Ramadan

After breaking the fast, while still on my prayer mat I was secretly hoping and praying that it wouldn’t be the last fast of Ramadan. Somehow I wasn’t that thrilled about Eid, this time. I was rather withdrawn and passive. Obviously, Eid was not the reason for my distress; instead it was the coming of the end of Ramadan.

Having understood the virtues and experienced the numerous blessings of Ramadan. I was feeling anxious for not having availed enough from the blessed month. “But there is always next Ramadan.” I reassured myself. “What makes you so sure that you will live that long?” A part of me contradicted. The growing debate between my conscience and nafs (lowly base self prone to sin) made me more apprehensive and anxious. The ticking of the clock made me desperate and I felt like grabbing every second of the passing moment.

Finding Time For Dhikr

Stress and depression have been proven to be the main reasons for the occurrence of many psychological problems.

We tend to ignore our psychological needs until they turn into life threatening ailments. If not addressed promptly and properly, a seemingly minor matter related to stress or depression can become traumatic for any individual.

So what can be the core reason for something so dangerous? Allah(subhanahu wa ta’ala) explains the reason to us by saying:

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life...” (20:124)

CAUSES.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) has created us with a combination of body and soul, so in other words, we are a blend of the physiological and psychological and He has provided rizq (provision) for both.

Work For The Life, You’d Die For.

It gives me a sense of relief to realise that I am not the only one juggling various roles. From being a mummy to a wife to a nanny to a driver to a cook to a baby sitter to a tutor to a janitor to a nurse to a teacher to a student and what not…the list seems endless.Being a mother of three proactive children of different ages my hands (and er… feet) have always been full, Alhamdulillah but I’ve always felt the need to do something that would have a lasting impact on them and would leave them with something substantial even after I’m gone.  I realised that could only be the knowledge of deen and its practical application.However, as I was already on a roller coaster ride with the kind of eventful life I had, it seemed almost impossible for me to even think of finding time to pursue my ambitious plans. So despite still being naïve and ignorant about the importance of having a significant purpose in life and being clueless about how to fit it all in within my already crazy routine, I felt the urge to embark on a promising journey for my family and myself, so I did.