What's Your Plan for the New Year?

The Islamic year is counted from the time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Makkah to Madinah. This migration was a really special time and one of the reasons is because it stands for a new beginning — a fresh start — leaving a place of persecution, trouble, and turmoil to a place where Muslims could live in peace.

The years mark the duration of our lives, and the new year is the perfect time to look back over the previous twelve months and honestly ask ourselves how we are progressing in our lives. If we do not take this chance to have a spot check and perhaps a cleanup of our heart, we run the risk of letting the years roll by without making goals, determining our direction, and taking note of the weaknesses we need to overcome in order to have one successful year after another.

Sometimes people say they are not successful. Thinking like this can lead to a lack of confidence in people and maybe depression. They might think to themselves, "I don't succeed at anything." But the question is, what is the definition of success?

When facing a new year, some people get really hopeful and make a long list of resolutions for themselves with the idea that they will fix every single aspect of their lives in one sweep. But really, is it possible to do that? Then at the end of the year, those old promises are long forgotten and a heap of new promises are put in place. Do you think this will lead to success?

One of the keys to success is to make realistic goals. And take note that this cannot be done if we consider all our problems, weaknesses, and shortcomings in one go and say things like "I'm going to be a better person in every way!" It is, however, very effective if we choose one or two goals on which to concentrate during the coming year.

Make sure these goals are specific. General goals are hard to follow and difficult to evaluate whether or not we achieved them. For example, a person might make a resolution to pray every prayer on time. This sounds reasonable but it could be a bit unrealistic and maybe impossible in some situations, so the person will end up feeling that he or she did not accomplish that particular goal. Maybe it is more realistic to choose one of the prayers that is the most difficult for you to perform and concentrate on it.

Many people find that Fajr Prayer (early morning prayer) is difficult. So if you wish to start with that one, make a checklist for every day of the week. Write the days of the week and leave a space to tick beside each day to do the prayers on time. I suggest that you leave the space empty if you happen to miss it. In this way you focus on the positive instead of seeing a black mark or a cross or something that entails negativity that could lead to your feeling despondent and perhaps giving up altogether.

Be kind to yourself! Many times we are much harder with ourselves than we are with other people, so speak positively to yourself and encourage yourself when you do well and succeed.

If you fulfill this one goal, you will find that other aspects of your behavior and life will also change. For example, if you choose to concentrate on Fajr Prayer, you will find that you will go to sleep earlier so you can get up. Sleeping early and getting up early is an act of the Sunnah and is very good for the health.

Another worthwhile goal might be to lose weight. However, if you just say "I'm going to lose weight" without making any specific subgoals, it is very probable that you will not succeed. Why? Because losing weight is more than just going on a diet. You have to pinpoint many things like do you eat too much junk food, do you not get enough exercise, do you eat when you feel depressed?

So once you have answered this honestly, then make your goal. For example, you could say "I will not eat junk food," or "I will exercise for 30 minutes every day," or "I will fast twice a week" (this is an act of the Sunnah too). All these are realistic goals that you can later assess to see whether or not you succeeded.

New year's resolutions are all about steps towards making positive change, so be kind to yourself and speak encouraging, positive words. Know yourself and set goals that really suit you and your needs, and do not forget to evaluate. You can set aside a certain time every day, every week, or every month to see whether or not you have moved forward, and how far!

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* Latiefa Achmat is an Islamic counselor and social worker in Cape Town, South Africa. She can be contacted at youth_campaign@iolteam.com.