By Muslim Youth Programme

4 Ways to Manage Your Time- Which one is Best for You?

Today I’m going to share with you 4 different approaches to time-management. And by the end, you’ll know exactly which one will work best for you. So let’s boogie! 🙂

Modern productivists commonly talk about three models of time-management. Take a look at them>>

1. THE CLASSIC TIME-MANAGEMENT MODEL

This is the most common approach to time-management. It’s centrally focused on the management of the “time” itself. When you type time-management in google or time-management courses on Udemy, you’ll find methods such as:

Getting Things Done by David Ellen
Stephen Covey’s time management grid (Author of 7 Habits of highly Effective People)
ABC method
Pareto’s principle- 80/20 rule.
Eisenhower Matrix for prioritizing.
Pickle Jar theory for prioritizing between goals. (rocks, sand, pebbles and water)
Parallel Programming method
ALPEN method
Maslow’s Theory (showing the hierarchy of human needs)
Eat the frog by Brian Tracy
And many more…

This regular “time-management” approach covers all different kinds of methods from techniques for prioritization, to task-management methods and project-management systems etc.

The only problem is- NOT A SINGLE ONE of the systems is targeted specifically for Muslims.

Although the methods in this model can actually help us prioritize better and become more productive but not a SINGLE one is designed specifically for Muslims. Meaning this approach completely cuts off the Quran and Sunnah limbs from time-management.

Let’s have a look at the second approach…

2. THE WORK/ LIFE BALANCE MODEL

This is another model that you’ll read about in the entrepreneurial magazines.

Work/ life balance is a term commonly used by people who work 9 to 5, originally coined in the late 1970s.

“Work/life” balance is at best an elusive ideal and at worst a complete myth, today’s senior executives will tell you.” (Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams wrote that in a March 2014 Harvard Business Review article)

This model is faulty at so many levels but the biggest one is probably the separation of “work” from “life”.

It compartmentalizes work and life. And it clearly demarcates “work” from everything else that’s thrown in the “life” part, which btw comes AFTER work.

In other words, the work itself is at the center of focus and weighs equally or heavier than the “rest of the life”.

And what of work-from-home entrepreneurs? Or people with 2 jobs and debts to pay off? And housewives who are technically not working a 9 to 5 job? Who can clearly measure their level of productivity?

There will always be interruptions from “life” during our work hours and interruptions from work during the rest of our time. How can we separate life from work? We can’t. And where do we put Islam? and Family?

Then later there appeared this newer version of the work/ life balance model, this time called…

3. “Work/life-integration” model.

This approach allowed people to connect the two areas of life but that’s the problem- yet again, this approach also focuses on only two areas of life: work and life. And by life, what’s meant is family and self-time.

That can’t work for us Muslims because all of these secular time-management models completely cut off the Quran and Sunnah limbs from time-management.

There’s a HUGE area that’s missing from all of the above models: IBADAH. We can’t ignore our Salah during work nor can we ignore the fact that we have to fast during Ramadan, even if that means fasting while work.

We have to make time for Allah S.W.T and Quran regardless of our work-situation.

Plus, all the strategies in these secular approaches are rationalized by the psychology of ‘the mind’ with no concept of Nafs/ Shaytan. Meh.

Also, notice how all these secular time management methods talk about how to ‘manage’ time. Management implies ‘full control’. And our belief system shuns that idea because the complete control of everything is only for Allah S.W.T.

Which is why all of the above are INCOMPLETE models of time management that don’t fully solve the problems Muslims are facing today.

This brings me to the fourth and the final model…

Barakah completes the time-management model. When all the rest of the models are so adamant on improving your task-management skills and getting your prioritization methods right (both of which are undeniably important), barakah covers the spiritual aspect of productivity. It brings more “soul-elements” to the concept of time-management.

Barakah is the spirit of GROWTH. Whether it’s growth of your money, time or wellness, it’s the secret ingredient responsible for growth.

So the Barakah Model is simple- attach Barakah to time and it WILL grow on its own!

‘Growing time’ is not an exaggerated idea- it is totally REAL. Just because barakah is not tangible, doesn’t mean its effects are airy-fairy.

Here’s why:

Barakah is an Arabic word and experts break it down into 3 parts.

Now imagine attaching barakah to time- here’s what you’ll get:

Above and beyond measure, unexpected, constant, everlasting and stable INCREASE in our time.

Sounds heavenly! But what does that even mean in day-to-day life?

Here’s what it means for you and I:

What do you see when you look at the clock? The exact time.

4am, 10am, 3pm…

Everything about time is right in front of you in the shape of a clock.

But what if it isn’t?

Imagine there’s a hidden Barakah-hand on that clock that moves time besides the visible hour-hand and minute-hand. This ‘barakah-hand’ is furiously working behind the scenes to increase the hours and minutes of your time.

So on a typical day, after finishing 3 important tasks… you look at the clock. Only 2.5 hours have passed and you’re already done with all the major tasks of the day?! How is that possible??

Before, you couldn’t even finish ONE major task in an entire day. This is so UNEXPECTED. It’s BEYOND what you imagined.

Now imagine if that happened… not once, not twice… but every single day. Whenever you look at the time, it baffles you. You end up doing way more than you’ve been doing in the past.

That is how REAL Barakah is. That is how POSSIBLE it is to enjoy the everlasting rewards of barakah.

Let me tell you- there’s no HACK in the world… no productivity SECRET TACTIC that can promise those powerful results. Trust me because I’ve tried almost everything out there. NOTHING that secular time-management gurus teach you even remotely compares to the Barakah-approach.

And get this- unlike the ‘common time-management methods’, Barakah is centrally focused around the RESULTS of your efforts.

So by attaching barakah to our efforts, we can give the best chance of success to the results of our hard work—

I know what y’all must be thinking right now. BARAKAH IS SO COOL, where do I get some? 😀

Don’t worry, it’s free for all. I’ve even attached a swipe file containing all the best sources of Barakah, get it by clicking the button below:

DOWNLOAD THE SOURCES OF BARAKAH

4 Ways to Manage Your Time- Which one is Best for You?

1. THE CLASSIC TIME-MANAGEMENT MODEL

2. THE WORK/ LIFE BALANCE MODEL

3. “Work/life-integration” model.

4. THE BARAKAH MODEL

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