Inching closer to year’s end, many of us are planning for 2021, hoping it will be gentler on us all.
But, how do you plan your days, weeks, or even for the year ahead during a global pandemic? What consistency can we possibly expect to have in our schedules during a time where it seems our everyday life has been turned upside down?
Schools, businesses, restaurants, and public spaces all across the country have implemented restrictions or closed down entirely.
The way we greet each other has changed. How we eat, shop, and worship has evolved into contact-less delivery, curbside pickup, virtual halaqas, and socially-distanced jummahs.
What Are Your Priorities?
Even still, we want to plan. To attempt being productive, we keep track of our appointments and outline our goals, hoping to eventually attain them.
One of the most important things that I’ve learned when it comes to planning, is to prioritize my needs above everything else. It may sound selfish, it may feel self-serving. I’ve found that it’s the surest way for me to accomplish what I set out to do. I am also present for my family, without becoming overwhelmed and depleted.
I reached out to Khadija Abdus Sabur, a spiritually-focused transformational coach and the founder of Woman by Nature to get her thoughts on planning during uncertain times.
As women, we often love to plan–whether for career goals, activities for the children, projects around the house, or achieving new spiritual milestones. However, very often we forget to integrate into our planning, one of the most important ingredients to success in all of these endeavors–our self-care and emotional wellness. By making self-care and emotional wellness a central consideration in our planning, you’ll be on track for a more holistic (and emotionally fulfilling) version of success, Inshaa’Allah.”
Khadija Abdus Sabur
“Now, planning, in general, can feel restrictive to some (read: they avoid it at all costs), but it’s actually liberating. One of the biggest complaints women often have is feeling overwhelmed. Doing the work of planning has the benefit of freeing up your mind and energy in the long run–because you know exactly what you’re focused on and you can more easily push back on tasks that don’t align. Overall, this allows you to focus and achieve those wins–which positively impacts your emotional state and sense of self,” she adds.
Planners Are Your First Plan
One of the shops I love that can help you personalize your planner is Mariam Poppins. She offers a fun mix of planner accessories, Islamic themed stickers and Hijabi paper dolls.
She recently shared how she sets up her week in the new ‘Joy Within’ Islamic Planner.
The new 2021 planners include short duas, a salat tracker, and weekly motivational Quran verses. It aims to be a useful tool to help you plan for the dunya and akhira.
The Prophet (pbuh) prayed to Allah (SWT) to grant abundance to the Ummah in their early mornings saying:
“O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings (i.e., what they do early in the morning)” – Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapter on Business Transactions. (Vol. 3, Book 12, Hadith 2236)
Khadija Abdus Sabur shares how she uses planning to balance her day and her:
“Planning and prioritizing your spiritual connection is a major form of self-care. And is especially critical in these tumultuous times we’re in. One of the easiest (and most fulfilling) ways I’ve found to do this, is to be very intentional about how I spend my mornings, making them a time for reflection and self-care, spiritual connection, and beginning the day in a purposeful way.
Below is my non-negotiable morning routine:
1 – Morning Athkar
Desiring a safe, successful, and emotionally fulfilling day – it stands to reason to begin the day connecting to Allah. Seek refuge from the potential ills of the day, and implore Allah for all the potential forms of success therein. This is not only the ultimate leverage for successfully executing your plans for the day, but it also brings about a sense of calm and emotional/ mental resilience, which is invaluable as you traverse the inevitable trials of life.
2 – Fill Your Cup First
Our plans are often external. Meaning things that we have to get done for others, deliverables on projects, and various family and community responsibilities. Planning for these is important.
However, I’m an ardent proponent of self-care and the importance of spending a bit of time and energy filling your cup first, before you expend your energy in supporting external goals.
So after your morning dhikr–engage in some sort of self-care that’s just for you. It could be a quiet cup of tea on the porch or 30 minutes of invigorating exercise. Whatever the activity, planning to fill your cup first allows you to then support others with more energy and joy. You will have considerably less exhaustion and resentment (a major win for your emotional state).
3 – Reflect/Journal
I often find that during my self-care time, I’ll get amazing ideas, make mental connections regarding problems I’d been trying to solve, or something will come to the surface that may require more attention and exploration. Taking ten minutes to jot these items down can be healing. It allows your mind to become settled (less to worry about), and allows you to return later to items that may need additional follow-up.
4 – Tackle Your Most Important Tasks First
In my corporate management days, I was given a book called “Eat the Frog,” which has been invaluable in how I approach my day. The principle is that you do the most distasteful task on your plate first, and get it over with. Disciplining yourself to “eat the frog” eliminates the procrastination that we can often fall into (not to mention the 5 PM frenzies and missed deadlines). This not only frees up our day to focus on other, more enjoyable tasks–we experience a positive emotional and mental win, once we’ve accomplished that task that we’d usually avoid.
Inshaa’Allah, these practices will help you feel more grounded and focused, especially in uncertain times. And the result is often that you will achieve much more than you normally would. You may find yourself way ahead on your quarterly and yearly goals. It’s easy to fall into the habit of scattered and rushed mornings. But with a bit of planning and an eye for intention and self-care, your mornings can be the most fulfilling part of your day.”
Lastly, when it comes to planning, especially during Covid–go easy on yourself. Try to gather as much patience as you can when interacting with your spouse and children. We are all trying to find our footing within new work/home arrangements that are less than ideal.
Take a deep breath, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Insha’Allah this situation is just temporary. We want to come out of it having connected more with one another and having supported each other during this difficult time, and not having ripped each other to shreds. And surely Allah is the best of planners.
Featured planner by Reyhana Ismail. She has a wide range of beautiful planners for annual planning, health, arts, spirituality, Ramadan and more. Available on her website Rey of Light Design or in her Etsy shop.
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