# Ep 9: Getting in The Zone | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter

**Author:** Dr. Tesneem Alkiek
**Series:** Habits to Win Here and Hereafter
**Published:** 2022-01-17
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/n9SvVmBstAE
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep9-getting-in-the-zone-habits-to-win-here-and-hereafter
**Topics:** General Psychology, Psychology & Mental Health

## Description
To multitask or not to multitask? The latest research and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, both fall firmly on the side of ‘not.’ Rather than distracting ourselves with 5 things at a time, we can do our best work by focusing deeply on one task until it’s finished and then moving on to the next. Avoid...

## Transcript
**[0:00]** We all know that one person in our lives who is always working. It can be the evening, the weekend, or even a holiday, and somehow they're still in front of their computers. But it's not the type of working you're thinking. It's the kind that I'm still often guilty of doing from time to time, where I tell myself,

**[0:16]** alright, I need to catch up or get ahead, so I'm going to work this weekend. Saturday morning rolls around, and all I do is think about how much I have to get done, but I practically just end up staring at my screen for most of the day. And if we have plans to go out, I'll pack my laptop just in case I can get some reading done in the car.

**[0:35]** For the record, I've never gotten any reading done in the car. Of course, this type of work is almost always useless. For one, your head is not in the zone, so your focus is pretty much fleeting.

**[0:53]** But worse, you don't give your mind a time to space out and relax in order to re-energize for the next day. Which is why I've found that one of the most useful tips in spending your time wisely is the idea of completely shutting down your workspace and mind. Where you plan out your day, and once your day is done, it's done.

**[1:09]** Because the reality is, is that you're usually doing more harm than good by spending after-work hours not being fully present. By completely transitioning in and out of your tasks, you create boundaries around your work and can be fully present for either the next task at hand, or simply enjoying time with friends and family.

**[1:27]** Since I still have a bad habit of working around the clock, I think about this often. And I've slowly begun to recognize how prophetic of an action it actually is to go into start and end mode. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was infamous for not multitasking.

**[1:42]** If he was doing something, he was completely present. Aisha, radha Allah anha, narrates how when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was at home, he was always spending time with family and helping around the house. And she specifically describes that when the Adhan for prayer would come in, it was his cue to redirect his attention to what was coming next.

**[2:00]** Even when he was talking with people, he was known to fully turn his body to whoever he was speaking to, shake their hands firmly with eye contact, signaling to them that, you have my full attention. And nothing testifies more to this reality than the fact that every companion of the Prophet

**[2:16]** thought they were the most beloved to him. That's how much care and focus he gave to what was in front of him, that everyone felt so incredibly special before the Prophet of God, peace be upon him. And even in his own spiritual practices, he created cues to get his mind in the zone. After rising in the night to pray to Hajjud, the Prophet, peace be upon him,

**[2:34]** before beginning what would be extremely lengthy prayers, is recorded to have offered two short rukas as essentially a warm-up to immerse himself in the habit at hand. In so many similar ways, the Prophet offered us tools in our day-to-day actions to set ourselves up for what lies ahead of us.

**[2:50]** As a simple example, think about one of the purposes of doing wudu before Salah. You're physically purifying yourself, yeah, but you're also mentally preparing yourself to stand before Allah. And for any action we're about to begin, the Prophet, peace be upon him, told us to begin with Bismillah, in the name of Allah,

**[3:08]** and that any action that is important that doesn't begin with Bismillah is abtar, it's cut off, it lacks barakah or blessing. This last one is of particular significance because it really reflects the culmination of prophetic practice. Starting your tasks or habits with Bismillah does not only work to signal an official start or focus to your action,

**[3:26]** but it also serves to reorient the purpose of your actions. Here I am, beginning in the name of God, the one I serve and the one for whom I do what I do. And with that simple cue, you've not only trained your mind to initiate action time, but also have invoked the blessings of Allah in the process.

**[3:42]** Now that's a win-win if you ask me. Assalamualaikum.

## 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 11: Nothing Is Going as Planned | Habits To Win Here and Hereafter](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/habits-to-win/ep11-nothing-is-going-as-planned-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. 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)