Productive Fasting

In the Name of God, the Most Kind, the Kindest

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم

To gear up for the holy month, which is now only a fortnight away, Productive Fasting is happy to share a printable Ramadan calendar that has the Tiny Habits Method built into it! In addition to this, here is a direct link to BJ Fogg’s FREE 5-day program to build habits! 

The secret to behavior design is to take your aspirations and break them down into tiny behaviors while approaching mistakes as discoveries. As BJ Fogg says in his book, “We are not the problem. Our approach to change is. It’s a design flaw—not a personal flaw.”

Remember tiny is mighty, fast, immediate, safe, and transformative. It can grow big and doesn’t require motivation or willpower. Its anatomy is as easy as ABC:

Anchor—An existing routine (like brushing your teeth) or an event (like an alarm ringing or class). 

Behavior—A teeny-tiny version of the new habit you want, such as flossing one tooth or opening the Quran.

Celebration—Something you do to create positive emotions immediately after the new Tiny Behavior (e.g. saying, “Yes!” or hum an upbeat song like the theme from Rocky or praise Allah and smile). Change is easiest when we feel good, so celebrate yourself and your success!  

When selecting a tiny habit remember to MAP it, so that Motivation, Ability, and Prompts are easy to do.

Or, as James Clear says in Atomic Habitsmake it obvious (be sure your environment is conducive to the change you seek), make it attractive (be sure this is something you want to do, and not something you “ought” to do), make it easy (doable in 2-minutes or less, BJ Fogg recommends 30 seconds), and satisfying (reward yourself by celebrating your accomplishment to stimulate your brain and wire this new habit it!). 

Once you’ve mastered the Tiny Habits recipe (After I [existing routine], I will [new habit]), then experiment with habit stacking:

1.      After I finish eating dinner, I will put my plate directly into the dishwasher.

2.      After I put my dishes away, I will immediately wipe down the counter.

or

1.      After I spread out my prayer mat, I will smile and thank Allah.

2.      After I smile and thank Allah, I will read the ritual prayer.

Identity Statements: There is agreement among productivity experts that focusing on who you want to become is essential to success (e.g. I am a quick reader, I am a namazi, I am a seeker, I am a student, I am a Turkish speaker, I am a writer, I am kind, I am playful, I am affectionate, I am appreciative, etc.). For more information, see James Clear’s Quick Start Guide to Identity-Based Habits.

Lastly, here is a link with fasting tips from the Dietetics Department at Singapore General Hospital (SGH)! 

From one needy of your dua,

Your sister & friend,

m

Attachment: Ramadan Calendar (Anticipated)