Assalamu Alaikum my dear friend

After Fajr the other morning, I caught myself—thumb hovering over my phone. A few minutes slipped by before I noticed. I felt a little disappointed. I coach people to connect before you consume; I don’t usually touch my phone before I connect with my Lord, check in with my loved ones, and energise my body, mind, and soul. But that day, I consumed before I connected.

I know—and often teach— the du‘ā of the Prophet ﷺ: “O Allah, bless my ummah in their early mornings.” Yet I still slipped. That honest moment didn’t crush me; it clarified something.

That moment brought me back to On Task by David Badre. He puts simple words to something I’ve been coaching for years: we don’t suffer from a lack of information; we suffer from a missing bridge. The brain needs a clean handover from why (purpose) → what (clear target) → how (the first tiny step). If any link is fuzzy, habit and emotion rush in… and the phone wins.

So the next morning I tried again, differently. I wrote my why in one line: “Begin connected, so my work serves instead of scatters.” I set a simple what—a picture of done: “By 6:45, I’ve prayed Fajr, read one page with meaning, done 5 minutes of dhikr, and chosen today’s one win.” Then I staged the how the night before: Qur’an and notebook on the table, phone charging in the hallway. After Fajr I whispered, “Ya Allah, put blessing in this hour,” and began.

No fireworks. Just a steadier heart. A kinder day.

I see the same shift with my clients. We don’t need louder motivation; we need a gentler bridge. If it helps, borrow this for the next 24 hours:

• Why (1 sentence): “I do X to come closer to Allah subuhanawut’ala and to become the kind of person who ______.”
  
  
• What (picture of done): “By [time], [specific, observable outcome].” (I call this Done Looks Like.)
  
  
• How (first tiny step): “At [time/place] I will [small action], and my phone will be [elsewhere].”
  
  

A few real-world examples you can start tomorrow:

• Morning barakah
  
  
• Why: “I want Allah’s blessing to touch everything that follows.”
  
  
• What: “By 6:45, one page with meaning, 5 minutes of dhikr, one clear ‘win’ written.”
  
  
• How: Qur’an + notebook on the table; phone out of the room.
  
  
• Qur’an fluency
  
  
• Why: “So Allah’s words shape my words.”
  
  
• What: “By Maghrib, recited 10 lines with tajwīd—aloud—to a teacher/recording.”
  
  
• How: Set a 10-minute timer after ‘Asr; open to today’s bookmark.
  
  
• Health
  
  
• Why: “A strong body lets me serve my deen and family with energy.”
  
  
• What: “By 7:30 pm, 20 minutes of movement done.”
  
  
• How: Shoes by the door; press play on a saved routine; start with a 2-minute warm-up.
  
  
• Parenting presence
  
  
• Why: “My calm becomes their compass.”
  
  
• What: “Before bedtime, 10 unhurried minutes together.”
  
  
• How: Phone in the kitchen; sit on the floor; one good question; end with a du‘ā.
  
  

Two small refinements make this stick: tie the what to a when/where (“after Fajr at the kitchen table…”), and remove friction from the how (stage what helps, hide what hijacks). Most “willpower problems” are really environment problems.

And one heart check for both of us: renew the why often. We’re not chasing productivity trophies. We’re seeking a day that begins with remembrance and ends with gratitude. The early hours are blessed for a reason; barakah lives where intention meets a small act, repeated with love.

May Allah subuhanawut’ala turn what we know into what we do—and what we do into who we are.

With love and gratitude,
Rushdhi

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