*If you truly want it, you would have prepared for it.* Bismillah, Can you remember last year's ramadan's impact in your life? What did it change about you? What bad habit did you stop doing? what good deed are you consistent with? By this time next week - inshallah- we'll be in Ramadan. What have you prepared for it? Whenever we take on new projects, exams, business etc, we would start preparing for it months to come, we would have made daily and weekly plans on how to make the project a successful one. What about project Ramadan? Whoever is given an opportunity to experience a Ramadan in his lifetime has been truly blessed and honored. Don't miss this opportunity! *Identify Your Goals* You still have a week to go. Draw out a pen and paper and write down your goals for this Ramadan. What are the areas you want to improve in your life? What good deed do you want to make an habit? What bad deed do you want to stop doing? Some of the goals of ramadan: 1. Develop Taqwa (being conscious of Allah) - doing what Allah commands us to do and staying away from the prohibitions. 2. Increase and strengthen your Eeman (faith) in Allah and your love for Him, fear of Him, hope in Him and trust on Him. Eeman in the prophets, angels, books, the last day and the Qadr. 3. Performing the acts of worship with Ihsan (excellence), bring your heart to solah, adhkaar, dua and increase your khushu' and duration spend in each ibadah, performing it slowly and with the presence of heart. 4. Becoming the people of the Quran, reciting more of the Quran, reflecting on the verses and implementing the lessons. 5. Purify your heart from diseases: Show off, envy, pride, hatred, anger, greediness, stinginess, heedlessness. 6. Develop good character- become the best version of yourself, treating your parents, siblings, family, and the community with compassion and goodness. *Build Your Routine* Goals without systems are just dreams. For each goal you set for Ramadan, start building a routine for it. Plan out your days and weeks, your mornings and nights, fix a time for all the habits and routine you want to work on. Revolve your daily tasks around the Solah, what will you do after fajr, after asri, maghrib? what will you do before you sleep and when you wake up? Some of the tasks you should include: 1. Solah - tahajjud, taraweeh, duha, sunnah prayers etc. 2. Adhkaar - morning, evening, before sleep, waking up etc. 3. Quran - memorising, revision, recitation with reflection. 4. Dua - In the last third of the night, in sujood, after solah. 5. Charity - give even if little, donate or sponsor an iftar program. 6. Seek knowledge -increase in your knowledge about the religion, especially know more about Ramadan, its rulings and prohibitions. 7. Listen to lectures, read books, be in the circle of those who remembers Allah much. As you have made your to-do list, you should have your not to-do list. Examples; 1. Watching movies, comedies or non beneficial YouTube videos. 2. Listening to music. 3. Playing games. 4. Socializing too much. 5. Social media- stay away or decrease significantly your presence on social media platforms. To avoid doom scrolling, envy, haram looks and wasting of time. If cannot avoid these, at least decrease it for this 30 days. May Allah make it easy. May Allah - Al Goffar - forgive us and shower His mercies upon us this Ramadan. May it be one of the best Ramadan we ever will live to see. That’s all for today, see you in Ramadan Inshallah.