Time is limited. Death is certain. However, our intention to live a productive life and to serve Allah subḥanahu wa ta’ala (glorified and exalted be He) and His creation will itself be enough to count as a positive action. If you study the seerah (life of Prophet Muhammad 
) with a specific focus on his daily and regular routines, it is an eye-opener. Allah says:
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا
“And (do) not come near (the) wealth (of) the orphan, except with what [it] is best until he reaches his maturity. And fulfil the covenant. Indeed, the covenant will be questioned.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:34)
How meticulous he was in planning every aspect of his day; how he prioritized tasks; how serious he was about keeping his word and how he kept his speech precise and not indulging in idle talk. Every step you take should be an act of worship to Allah. There is no better way to spend your time. Whether you are taking out the garbage, studying for a test, playing with your kids, reading an article, tying your shoe, going into a business meeting, EVERYTHING should be in the name of Allah.
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) having said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six things happen: the rising of the sun from the west, the smoke, the Dajjal, the beast and (the death) of one of you or the general turmoil.” [Muslim]
This will turn every task you do into a prayer. It helps to always keep wudu to remain conscious of this. Staying in constant worship to Allah is the purpose of life and should be squeezed out of every minute to benefit your destiny. If you feel your task is not for the sake of Allah, either adjust your intentions so it is, or the task is not worth doing at all and move on. Allah says:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And not I have created the jinn and mankind except that they worship Me.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
Truly, there is a blessing every morning. Waking up early makes your day less stressful and gives you more time to finish your tasks. You may witness the magic Allah SWT creates in the morning. Not only to wake up early you have to try not to go back to sleep after Fajr. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَلَا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger, and make not vain your deeds!” (Surah Muhammad 47:33)
Make deals with yourself as to when you will take your next break, then write it down next to you. Now when to have the urge to get distracted or side-track, remember you have a break coming up and you can do anything you want at that time, so stay focused on the task at hand.
Below are some tips on how to stay on track and not let time waste away:
- Start everything with “Bismillah”
- Wake up early in the morning
- Paint a vision and aim high
- Make time for everything
- Spend time doing good
- Keep your body healthy
- Do one thing at a time
- Prioritize and be consistent
- Respect other people’s time
- Delete distractions from your life
- Braindump and get things off the mind
- Start with the most important tasks first
You must have a goal to know if you are going in the right direction. Visualize your goal! It builds your internal motivation to take the necessary actions to achieve it. Oxygen in your blood is the best energy. It is more effective than coffee, which temporarily shocks your body with sugar and poisons. Go for walks, even better if you can walk to the masjid for Fajr. Allah says:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And not I have created the jinn and mankind except that they worship Me.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
There are many kinds of goodness and doing good in Islam, and one of them is not procrastinating. Instead of delaying your task for unnecessary things, it’s more important for you to finish them. It’s how you can spend your time doing good. Allah says:
وَأَنفِقُوا مِن مَّا رَزَقْنَاكُم مِّن قَبْلِ أَن يَأْتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنِي إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“And spend from what We have provided you before [that] comes (to) one of you the death and he says, “My Lord! Why not You delay me for a term near so I would give charity and be among the righteous.” (Surah Al-Munafiqun 63:10)
Your brain is valuable real estate. Plant useful knowledge on there, instead of bombarding it with useless information like junk news, social networks, even phone numbers, and appointments. Keep a notepad handy and immediately write down any ideas or things you need to remember. Keeping them floating in your brain is wasting mental resources. Allah says:
فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ
“So glorify with the praise (of) your Lord and be of those who prostrate.” (Surah Al-Hijr 15:98)
Jot them down to a reliable place and forget about them! When I say “reliable”, be sure it will be a place that you will refer to it without thinking, such as the refrigerator, your home screen on your phone, stickies on your desk, etc. This way, you can truly release them from your mind, but they will reliably pop up later. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59:18)
Starting on the right foot sets the stage for the rest of the day. If you start your day by checking your emails, the priorities start to shift and what’s important to you falls down the chain. Before you know it, you end up working on the tasks you originally wanted to in the middle of the day. Start with the tasks that matter most to you and your goals, then get to the daily grind. This will allow you to set your priorities instead of the Dunya setting them for you. Allah says:
“By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in the loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and Patience and Constancy.” (Quran103:1-3)
Life is short; this means we must utilize it to prepare for our eternal destination. Indeed, food for the body usually conflicts with food for the soul, so try to align them to meet your goals. Master the resources around you before they master you. The provisions given to you by Allah is a means for you to reach your destination.
