The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We 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 the shariah 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 any surah.

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

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a 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 of barakah.

6.

Perform tahajud prayer: Even though this is not a mandatory prayer,

this is prayer, after the fard (mandatory), as regarded with the highest standard. I know it is hard to wake up for tahajjud and I am guilty of myself for not trying to wake up for tahajjud as much as I should. This prayer is so special and so magnificent that once you read the Quran ayat and all the hadeeth that InshaAllah we will all try to incorporate this prayer in our lives. Here is the Quran ayat about 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

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
may 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 which heightened feelings of happiness and euphoria are attained during running

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
and 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 the sunnah 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 of Sunnah we so often hear about, we obtain a great source of Barakah! Some of these Sunnahs include:

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
eating 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 and
leave 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!

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a 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 any

television/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!

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a 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. 26. 27.

Dont lie for 30 days: This is quite the challenge. Stop deceiving Doing something that scares you every day: Fear is the one Dont complain for an entire day: This one will likely take more

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! thing keeping you from being the best version of yourself. The only way to overcome your fears is to face them head on! 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.

The Habit Change: 30 Ways to Successfully Ingrain a Good Behavior

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

28. 29. 30.

Practice a random skill everyday: There are many available Take one picture each day: This one gets harder nearing the end of Perhaps you can push yourself harder to be less angry,

How To on YouTube and other video sites. Such as pen tricks, hand stands, parkour, dances, cooking tricks. Broaden your skills! 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!

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 it inspires 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.