Planning

Take advantage of five things before five others happen: your youth before you grow old; your health before you fall sick; your money before you become poor; your leisure before you become busy; and your life before you die.(The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said as recorded by Tirmidhi).

This outline is just a guide. Feel free to modify it in any way you like. Anything which you think you must do should be planned for here. The Quran invites us to think, evaluate, and achieve for the best of this world and the best of the hereafter.

While striving towards personal development, we must also consider what we can do for Islam on a collective level and what exactly we need to do, mapped out in small but concrete actions. Here are a couple of ideas for the coming year. 

Throughout the Quran, Allah encourages us to think, wonder, consider, and imagine. He has even advised us that the successful people decide their affairs by putting their heads together:  Ameruhum Shura Bainahum (Quran 42:38).

You may have many ideas about the future: for yourself, for your family, for your children, your job, your community, and your country. Too many things and too little time! That is where setting goals and priorities come in. 

Every year, we witness family and friends making resolutions to change for the better: “I will lose 20 lbs”; “I will start praying regularly”; “I will spend more time with the kids”; “I will seek a more fulfilling career”. But most of us stop at this stage, not planning in detail how we will reach our goals

Free people control their time and money. Slaves control neither. So let's take charge of ourselves through planning for ourselves now so there is a purpose to our lives beyond the mundane routines of earning and consuming.