30 Days Challenges of New Habit

7/28/2019 30 Days Challenges of New Habit

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The Habit Change: 30 Waysto Successfully Ingrain a

Good BehaviorWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a

habit. - Aristotle

1. Perform duha prayer: Duha is performed between the full rising of the

sun until theshariah time of midday. It is up to the individual how many rakats of this

to read; he can read between two and twelve rakats with the recitation of anysurah.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

Whosoever reads Salah al-Duha as twelve Rakats, Allah will build for him a palace in

paradise. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Maja: cited in al-Mawahib al-Laduniyya, 3: 220)

2. Give stranger a smile: How wonderful a world this would be if

everyone would simply smile at a stranger they see every day. Can you imagine if

thousands of people did that daily? We all need love. We all need to feel we belong

somewhere. We all need acceptance and to feel appreciated. And you know what; we all

need someone who cares. And that, my friends, is what we can do, we can truly care for

the lives we touch each day and make that difference that means so much.

3. Hug your friends: If you and your friends have gotten into the habit of

hugging each other constantly then well done, you are one step closer to being open to

your feelings. Sometimes this is just a passing phase, although some individuals go

through their entire lives trying to hug people.

4. Use stairs, dont use elevators: Take the stairs every chance you

get for 30 days. It is healthy, it doesnt look silly and it will add up over a lifetime


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habit. - Aristotle

5. Donate at least RM1: In a hadeeth Qudsi, Allah says:

O son of Adam, spend (in charity), and Ill spend on you!

Whenever you are broke, or you feel barakah is zapped out of your life and urgently

need it to return, the quickest of way of gaining barakah in your life can be through

giving charity. For example, lets say barakah was removed from your life due to a sin

you committed; charity cleanses your sins, adds good deeds and is a source ofbarakah.

6. Perform tahajudprayer: Even though this is not a mandatory prayer,

this isprayer, after thefard(mandatory), as regarded with the highest standard. I know it

is hard to wake up fortahajjudand I am guilty of myself for not trying to wake up for

tahajjudas much asI should. This prayer is so special and so magnificent that once you

read the Quran ayatand all the hadeeth thatInshaAllah we will all try to incorporate this

prayer in our lives. Here is the Quran ayatabout praying in the night:

Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night

and [also] the Quran of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed. And from

[part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord

will resurrect you to a praised station. (Surah Isra, 17:78-79)

7. Call your beloved ones (parents and siblings or

spouse): You may be having the time of your life while in school, but your parents


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habit. - Aristotlemay be going crazy. They want you to call every night, you think you're independent now

and should only call when you feel like it. Keeping them updated about all that is new

and exciting in your life doesn't have to be a chore. Call them -- and take their calls when

they call you. You don't have to call them every day, and you don't have to take their

calls every time they want to talk, but at least respect their desire to know what's going on

with you. Ignoring the phone calls will just make it worse!

8. Laughter: We have all heard the saying: laughter is the best medicine!

Yes, laughter releases endorphins. A hearty laugh engages several muscle groups

throughout the body. Sometimes we laugh so hard that our cheek muscles and abs hurt.

Thats because they are contracted during laughter. After a hearty laugh, the body is left

in a more relaxed state, and our mind and mood happy. So, lighten up and laugh it up as

often as you can.

9. Eating dark chocolate or chocolate cake:This is

especially exciting for the ladies as they are usually the chocolate lovers! Dark chocolate

contains tryptophan, a happy chemical that activates the release of endorphins in

the brain. Consumed in moderation, it can be used to give our mood a little boost.

Remember that this method should be applied in moderation

10. Have a cardiovascular workout every other day:

Have you ever heard of the runners high?Whoa! What a feeling! Its positively

uplifting. Endorphins are released during strenuous cardiovascular exercise because

of whichheightened feelings of happiness and euphoria are attained during running
http://productivemuslim.com/productivity-ninja-achieve-and-maintain-calm/http://productivemuslim.com/productivity-ninja-achieve-and-maintain-calm/


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habit. - Aristotleand other cardiovascular exercises like jogging, swimming, cycling or a good game

of basketball. If the morning schedule is too hectic then another option would be to do it

during the lunch break at mid-day. This option is suitable for most professionals and

students alike. Never do cardio workouts after 5 pm because this sabotages the next

days productivity levels. The energy supplied by the cardio session would keep you

awake too late that night making it difficult for you to wake up early the next day to meet

your busy schedule. It is recommended to do the cardio as early in the day as possible.

11. Read Quran Frequently: Take time out every now and then to

reflect on the Glorious Quran. Even if its only 20 minutes a day, it is definitely worth

doing this!

12. Watch Islamic Lectures: YouTube is such a big phenomenon these

days and its great for us Muslims too. The numbers of interesting Islamic lectures

available are endless, so get on the Internet and have a look such as Mufti Menk, Dr.

Zakir Naik or our local speakers such as Ustaz Don or Ustaz Azhar Idrus. You can even

keep on in the background while doing the cooking.

13. Prepare Meals / Eating with people: Why should you have

to cook alone? Try and get your family and friends involved! Not only will the meals be

prepared quicker, but you can also discuss your day with each other.

14. Following thesunnah of the Prophet SAW: The most

Productive Man in the history of humanity is our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be

upon him). Therefore, by simply following his lifestyle and the acts ofSunnah we so

often hear about, we obtain a great source ofBarakah! Some of these Sunnahs include:


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habit. - Aristotleeating with the right hand from the side of the plate, licking your fingers after finishing

your meal, sleeping on your right hand side, using the siwaak, and many more. Look out

for these Sunnahs and follow them, for imitating the life of the most blessed man on earth

is surely a source of blessing!

15. Stopped watching TV: If you have this typical excuse I dont have

enough time for not completing any of my personal projects. So stopped watching TV

and start complete all your pending personal projects because you will enjoy your life

more now than before when you used to waste several hours a day sitting in front of the

TV.

16. Reading books regularly or a chapter each day: Keep one

technical book and one non-technical book in your reading queue all the time. We all

know we should be reading more often but somehow we are glued to the same computer

screen you are staring at right now. Clicking buttons. The solution is to take some time

each day to read one chapter. Just one. Easy right? Do it somewhere cozy or outside.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, turn on some ambient music

17. Cleaning up the bedroom and prepare the dress for the

next morning before going to bed: This is effective way to avoid rush andleave the mess in your room for the next day. You feel happy when your bedroom is clean and

the clothes for the next morning are ready. These few minutes, that might otherwise be spent

staring at ourselves in the mirror or your room, can make the difference between a

chaotic morning and one that's peaceful. Try it today! Keep calm and stay steady!


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habit. - Aristotle

18. Write an I-Like-This-About-You note/text/email

each day for someone: This is the perfect way to let someone else know you

care. We are so often focused on the bad stuff that we forget to mention the good. You

surely will make peoples day, 30 days in a row!

19. Take a 30 minute walk each day: Walking is healthy, relaxing

and inspiring. And it is both easy and free! A great exercise while walking is to observe

other people and think about what the differences and similarities are between you and

them. This will definitely increase your empathy and your observing skills!

20. Talk to one stranger each day:This is a great one to cure

approaching anxiety. Have you ever resisted the temptation to talk to someone because

you were afraid and said to yourself that you actually dont want to talk to her/him

anyway? Not anymore! After 30 strangers you will understand people are just people and

theres nothing weird in speaking to someone you dont know.

21. Try a new recipe each day:If you want to learn how to cook you

need to practice, practice, and practice. Forcing yourself to try a new recipe each day is a

great way to learn of more techniques and ingredients. It also makes it easier to drop bad

food habits you might have and turn them into healthy ones!

22. Media-fast for 1 day:Dont watch anytelevision/laptop/internet/newsfeed from the phone and stop following the news. Log out

of Facebook, Twitter and 9GAG. Stop the information overload and try living simple.

Youll be amazed how much free time you have left!


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habit. - Aristotle

23. Think of an accomplishment youd like to achieve for

each year of the next 30 years, a year each day: This is great

existential shock therapy. You cant answer these questions without facing your life as it

is right now and how it is likely to unfold. This one also gets harder progressively. Its a

great way to reflect!

24. Wake up early each day:

It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and

wisdom. Aristotle

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: Allah made the early hours blessed

for my Ummah.(Ahmed)

25. Dont lie for 30 days: This is quite the challenge. Stop deceiving

yourself and others, speak from the heart. This one goes great with cultivating right

intentions, because if you master that, there wont be any need for lying!

26. Doing something that scares you every day:Fear is the one

thing keeping you from being the best version of yourself. The only way to overcome

your fears is to face them head on!

27. Dont complain for an entire day: This one will likely take more

than a few days to work up to achieving. Even if youre a highly positive person, its

difficult not to utter one negative sentence for a 24-hour span. Dont be down on yourself

if you cant make it past an hour as with everything this takes practice! This one is

also great practice for becoming conscious of your thoughts.


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habit. - Aristotle

28. Practice a random skill everyday:There are many available

How To on YouTube and other video sites. Such as pen tricks, hand stands, parkour,

dances, cooking tricks. Broaden your skills!

29. Take one picture each day: This one gets harder nearing the end of

the challenge because at one point you will run out of the easy shots. This one is great to

combine with other challenges, a great way to make a photo diary!

30. Perhaps you can push yourself harder to be less angry,

more polite, and improve your overall manners. Anger is a very

powerful emotion. It rages through a person, creating a desire for revenge and for striking

out at the object of anger. Anger is an emotion that inspires action, and the action that itinspires is one of injury. In one hadeeth, Abu Hurayrah relates that a man said to the

Prophet (peace be upon him): Counsel me. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Do

not get angry. The man repeated his request many times, but the Prophet (peace be upon

him) kept saying: Do not get angry. (Sahh al-Bukhr). This is what makes the

emotion so dangerous. If left unchecked and uncontrolled, it is the emotion that can lead

a person to the evilest of deeds and to the worst and most tragic consequences.

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30 Days Challenges of New Habit