Journaling

One of the side benefits of this program is developing self-awareness and the skill of introspection. We do this by journaling. Islamic spiritual saints of the past and present often recommended physically writing things down in order clearly see mental and physical behavioral patterns. This is done so that we can address the root cause of these habits and to change them to further improve and refine ourselves.

Welcome to Journaling!

Your task is to buy a journal! You'll use this journal through your health journey in this program. You will write your weekly weights and measurements. You will write your experiences every step of the way. For example, you may notice you feel a certain way physically when you eat certain foods. That's very insightful! Write it down and capture it! Some have observed that when they are tired, they tend to make poor eating habits. Wow! That is amazing! You get the idea. Write everything down: how you're feeling physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually throughout this program.

Your first task in journaling is to writing your motivations, obstacles, and goals. But before you do, equip yourself with some knowledge of the concepts of motivation and obstacles.

Motivation

Read the following article, digest the meaning, and then write down what your motivations are. All of them! Trust me, writing them now will help you overcoming physical or emotional obstacles. Prepare for those now!

Finding Your Motivation

https://hayattayyiba.com/finding-your-motivation/

Obstacles

Obstacles in life are inevitable. It's the way Allah Most High has made this temporary world. The insightful person understands that every single obstacle in life is a mere opportunity in disguise. Moreover, for the believer, every single thing that happens is for the best. We know from the famous Hadith that the Prophet (Peace & Blessings Upon Him) said,

"How astonishing is the matter of the believer, for everything that happens to him is for the best, and this is true of no one besides the believe: If something good happens to him, he gives thanks, and it is best for him; while if something bad happens to him, he is steadfast, and it is best for him" (Muslim).

But living the world of cause and effect, we still can prepare for obstacles that may deter us from our ultimate purpose or things that are connected to our ultimate purpose, for example, our health. Our health is a major factor of how much good we can do for ourselves, our families, and for the larger Muslim community (ummah). Someone who is strong, healthy, and living longer can do more good than someone who is constantly sick.

In addition to writing down your motivations, you will write down your perceived obstacles in your life that may be holding you back from your optimal health. By writing down our perceived external and internal obstacles, we will be better prepared to overcome them. As a bonus, go ahead and brainstorm a plan of how you think you can best overcome each specific obstacle.

Read a little bit about obstacles before starting:

https://hayattayyiba.com/obstacles/

Goals

Write down all of your short-, medium-, and long-term goals from this program.