# Ep 11: Nothing Is Going as Planned | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter

**Author:** Dr. Tesneem Alkiek
**Series:** Habits to Win Here and Hereafter
**Published:** 2022-01-19
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/4u9H9WMIUsA
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep11-nothing-is-going-as-planned-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter
**Topics:** General Psychology, Psychology & Mental Health

## Description
When something feels off, things aren’t going to plan, or we find it difficult to get anything done, that’s our cue to pause and self-reflect. That’s the path of the greatest scholars who overcame similar setbacks by holding themselves accountable so barakah could re-enter their lives. When nothing...

## Transcript
**[0:00]** It's 6am and your alarm is buzzing. You wake up and fall straight into routine. Turn off alarm? Check. Remember God? Check. Make wudu and pray? Check. You've invited the barakah into your life and have set your priorities straight. And yet here you are with your Qur'an wide open trying to memorize, but nothing is sticking.

**[0:19]** You've read the verses countless of times, but you can't seem to focus. Later on, you're behind your computer screen ready to start some deep work, but you still can't seem to collect your thoughts. Nothing is going as planned. So perhaps you're in disbelief. I'm doing everything according to the book.

**[0:34]** Why aren't my good habits kicking in, allowing me to be productive? Believe me when I say that I've had plenty of these days. And you know who else experienced these types of setbacks? Some of the greatest scholars to have existed. Imam Al-Shafi'i, one of the founders of the four schools of law, actually composed a poem

**[0:50]** describing his lack of productivity. Shakawtu ila waki'a nsu'a hifli He says, I complained to my teacher waki'a of my inability to memorize properly. Fa'arshadani ila tarqil ma'asi So he advised me to leave off bad deeds. Wa akhbarani bi'anna al'ilma nurun

**[1:06]** And he informed me that knowledge is life. Fa'arshadani ila tarqil ma'asi So he advised me to leave off bad deeds. Wa akhbarani bi'anna al'ilma nurun And he informed me that knowledge is light. Wa nurullahi la yuhdaari aasi And that the light of God is not granted to one who engages in bad deeds.

**[1:22]** This is a powerful reality check that is still relevant for all of us today. If we're not being productive, if we can't get focused or memorize or get what we need to get done, it's a cue that we need to pause and engage in self-reflection. What else am I doing in my day? Do I start off strong and end the night falling back in my bad habits?

**[1:39]** Am I watching or listening to things I shouldn't? Talking badly about others? Forgetting or neglecting to pray? Because ultimately, just like we can invite barakah into our lives by waking up early and starting our day by remembering Allah, we can repel barakah from our lives by engaging in actions that are forbidden or displeasing to Allah.

**[1:58]** And in many cases, the latter outweighs the former, meaning that one small bad habit can taint our entire day. So if things don't seem to be going according to plan, consider this to be your internal alarm system signaling that something might be off. And rather than let it turn you off,

**[2:14]** allow it to motivate you to be self-aware and reflect on other things you're doing in your life. As Amr bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, so acutely reminded us, حاسبوا أنفسكم قبل أن تحاسبوا Hold yourselves accountable in this life before you're held accountable by God in the next life. And while being self-critical is no fun job, know the purpose that it serves.

**[2:33]** It's an opportunity to recalibrate your compass, to ask yourself yet again, why do I do what I do? And be realistic with yourself. There's some degree of worldly pleasure that we get by engaging in certain bad habits. But when we constantly have that big picture in mind, and our final goals guiding our day-to-day habits,

**[2:51]** we can ask ourselves, is what I'm doing worth it? And let's not kid ourselves either. Getting rid of bad habits is no easy feat. But just like any habit, you initiate change with a mindset. So next time your internal alarm system goes off, think about what you might be doing that is threatening the barakah in your life,

**[3:08]** and take the first small step by setting your intention for positive change. And when the barakah re-enters your life as a result of your initiative, I guarantee you that you won't have any regrets.

## Other Episodes in "Habits to Win Here and Hereafter"
- [Ep. 16: Overcoming Procrastination | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep16-overcoming-procrastination-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 15: How to Sleep Better | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep15-how-to-sleep-better-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 14: Know the Value of Time | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep14-know-the-value-of-time-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 13: Take Care of Your Body | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep13-take-care-of-your-body-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep 12: Overcoming Setbacks | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep12-overcoming-setbacks-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep 10: Take Advantage of Barakah | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep10-take-advantage-of-barakah-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep 9: Getting in The Zone | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep9-getting-in-the-zone-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 8: Plan Ahead with Block-scheduling | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep8-plan-ahead-with-block-scheduling-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 7: Training Your Brain to Focus | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep7-training-your-brain-to-focus-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 6: How to Start Your Day Right | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep6-how-to-start-your-day-right-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 5: Forming a Sustainable Habit | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep5-forming-a-sustainable-habit-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 4: True Productivity | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep4-true-productivity-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 3: Live Life with No Regrets | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep3-live-life-with-no-regrets-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 2:  What Motivates You? | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep2-what-motivates-you-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Ep. 1: Know Your Purpose | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep1-know-your-purpose-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)
- [Trailer | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/trailer-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter.md)