How to Stay Motivated and Productive through Ramadan

The holy month is upon us, and as I sit here enjoying the last cup of delicious morning Nescafe I am about to plan my schedule for the Ramadan, I thought I would share with some of the tips and tricks that I use to stay motivated and productive.

In general I can say that I am most organized and productive during Ramadan, I know a lot of people find this very strange and I always get a certain sort of look from people when I say that.. they want to go: yeah right! But in all honesty, I think Ramadan is one of the best times of the year to get into scheduling and planning and turn it into a habit. So here are a few tips to help you achieve that:

             1.       Schedule ahead:

Now Ramadan has what I like to call a “built in schedule”. You already have your day divided into pre and post-maghreb, and that makes it easier to plan your activities ahead. 

I like to use printable calendars to see my month ahead, I designed these free printable calendars with some coloring patterns on the side as a bonus. 

I also like to use a planner to get more into details for each task. Here I will include my To-Do List, I make my own planners -and I have a video coming up on them soon- and that makes it a lot easier for me to plan my Ramadan to-do list with so much flexibility. I will include all my daily activities as well as my meal planning, water intake, work and life related activities all in one place so that I am always on top of things.

             2.       Eat healthier:

Make sure to always stay hydrated! It is very important to increase your intake of water during Ramadan especially that it’s now summer. This is generally healthy, but you will not believe how much of a difference this will make with your overall productivity and energy levels. Eating healthier will also mean that you will have enough energy to get more done without suffering much from caffeine withdrawal.

            3.       Get inspired:

Surround yourself with things that inspire you, or get into a new habit. Learn something new, or watch some videos or even speak to people who you look up to and admire. Again, this doesn’t necessarily have to be during Ramadan, but I find that the “I’m not working” mood seems to be a bit contagious during this month that I always seem to need a bit more motivation in order to get my work done.

           4.       Set a goal

Always make sure you have something to look forward to. Add a milestone to your initial schedule, so that you’re always working towards something. It doesn’t have to be relevant to what you’re doing, it can just be something that motivates you. For example if you want to use this opportunity to lose weight, then set a goal to go on a shopping trip for new clothes at the end of the month to reward yourself. Plan a trip, set some financial goals or career goals, it doesn’t matter what it is as long as you’re looking forward to it.

And don’t forget to Enjoy!