Ramadan is not only a month of increase in devotion, prayer, charity and fasting, but it is also a month of reflection and introspection. It is the perfect time to get out those journals and write down your resolutions, your new ideas and your future goals.
As new Muslims, we need to be people of vision, people of purpose. Our ultimate goal should be to please God Almighty and enter Paradise, and so we should keep this in mind every minute of every day. However, in order to reach that end goal, we need to have small stepping stones and aspirations in this world hat will lead us to that goal in the Hereafter.
A wise person once said, “Use what God has given you in this life, to build your Hereafter.”
We are all blessed with talents and abilities. Each and every one of us is special. We were born to do something great. We are unique, different from every other human being that was ever brought into existence, and simple proof of this is in our fingerprints. We were all created with different strengths and weaknesses, but together we form one nation of people that has the power to do GREAT things.
Being a new Muslim, we are not just ‘anybody’ – we are ‘SOMEBODY’. We have been granted the greatest gift in this world, and we should never ever take this lightly. We need to take this gift of Islam and DO something with it. It is incumbent upon us to strive to excel and to not let the talents that God has gifted us with go to waste, except that we allow them to be opportunities for us to gain closeness to God and to offer everything within our abilities to the world and the Muslim community at large.
So, I want to share with you some practical tips on how you can set your vision and goals this Ramadan.
Firstly, write down your goals. Buy yourself a notebook or a journal. Try to get one that looks eye-catching, bright and funky – something that appeals to you. The reason for this is because in this book you’ re going to write down your dreams and your life ambitions, so you want it to be something that when you look at, fills you with excitement and reminds you of where you are heading. Be as ambitious as you want when setting these goals for nothing is impossible for God.
Secondly, make a plan. Now that you know exactly what you want in life in order to please God. Make a plan.Set milestones. And then work to achieve them. Consider these questions,
When do I want to achieve this goal by?
What do I want to achieve by the end of this year?
Where do I see myself in three years’ time?
Don’ t miss anything out. Whether after Ramadan you want to work on becoming an author or entrepreneur or you want to begin learning the Arabic language or embark on a journey towards understanding Islam better, or perhaps you want to set up a pure and beneficial business or even launch a project for sharing Islam. Whatever your dreams are, write them down and give yourself a deadline. Then take small baby steps each day to get to that goal. And you will God willing, slowly but surely.
Lastly, and in my opinion one of the most important things, is to pray and supplicate to God, and rely
completely on Him. Indeed God will respond to your call. Want to learn Arabic in 2 years? Want to launch a project for sharing Islam next year? Just write it down and then beg God in the darkness of the nights and in the serene mornings to grant you what you want and most importantly, to make it good for you in this life and the next. And work towards that goal with willpower and determination.
Beloveds, what are you waiting for? Set yourself some goals this Ramadan and strive to reach them. Remember, no dream is too big because God can do whatever He wills!
May God Almighty give us the life and ability to reach our goals and aspirations for His sake alone, and grant us all that we wish for that is good for us.
Key Points:
- The believer should focus on improving all aspects of their life.
- It’s time to wear a positive spectacle. Change your frame if all this while you’ve been clouded with negative thoughts. Push yourself. Do not give up because a believer doesn’t give up hope and never despairs.
- Put your head up and increase in prayer and worship. May God guide us to the right path and grant us success in this life and the next.