Productive Ramadan TV Show – Episode 2
Focus management
This isn’t just a problem in Ramadan, but a common one throughout the year. People are so distracted that focus has become a common challenge. One of the things that successful people have mastered is focus management.
How to become more focused (apart from the lack of energy)?
– Remove distractions – via having disconnected time from the world, from all technology (from TV, internet and phone). This time will help you focus. Build this software into your daily routine: http://www.freedomsoftware.co.uk/ this helps to disconnect from the Internet. Leave your phone at home.
– Simplify – i.e. de-clutter your desk, your mind, your desktop, etc.
– Pomodor technique – when you focus on one task for 25 minutes. After that you can stop and do whatever you want, and then you can do another 25-minute task. This is highly effective.
Note: focusing is like a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger it will become.
These concepts are found in the deen:
- Energy management. The prophet recommended to have iftar as soon as possible, and to have suhur as late as possible, to get maximum energy.
- Focus management. ‘Lowering your gaze’ is also a practice in our religion that teaches us to focus. How? They less you look, the less distractions you will have. Prayer teaches us focus.
- Solitude, i.e. I’tikaf in the last ten days. When you are alone, with no distractions, alone with Allah, contemplating your purpose!
- The Quran. When you read or learn it, with understanding, it trains you to focus.
Social Productivity (being useful whenever and wherever you are)
People may say that there is too much going on in their life to even have the time to provide for the community and the ummah. However, if you analyze your time, you will learn that you are wasting a lot of time; there are certain activities that can be compromised in exchange for more useful things for the community. It can be as small as a study circle in your family or your neighborhood.
- Make a firm intention, purely for Allah.
- Plan something that will bring impact to your community. Get the help of your friends and family.
- Use the energy and focus management strategies to fit these activities into your daily schedule.
Spiritual productivity
Ramadan is a school, to teach us to get close to Allah. You should leave Ramadan differently to when you entered, as a better individual. You should feel that you have developed spiritually.
There is a Productive Ramadan List – use this to build habits. You chose one habit to build within your daily routine, these develop unconsciously! So after 30 days, it will become part of you.
So you need to develop a spiritual habit in your day-to-day life. See which habit you need to develop and make use of the blessed month to develop it. (e.g. reading all the prayers in the mosque, doing night prayers, avoiding a certain sin, reading more Quran, etc.)
If you are physically, socially, and spiritually productive in Ramadan, you will have a fruitful month insha’Allah.
Benefited from this show? Join our brand new Productive Ramadan course – a simple, practical and complete blueprint for leading a Productive Ramadan insha’ Allah!