Readers,
I am pleased to finally be able to say that i have passed my driving test at the 5th time of asking.
It was a stressful, painful and expensive three years but the elation i feel right now means that it was thoroughly worth it and I would like to share some of the wisdom that I have learnt from my three years as a learner driver per chance that it may save you time, money and the embarassment of not passing the driving test first time or at least within the first three goes (it starts getting ridiculous after three).
My first piece of advice is to start learning as soon as you turn 17 or can afford it. Do not delay it for any reason if you can afford to learn financially and actually want a license rather than believe in not driving to save the planet or for other personal reasons. The simple reason being that your mind is a lot sharper to being able to learn new skills when you are younger and by delaying it will only mean you have to take more lessons to reach the same level of skill required to pass the test.
My second piece of advice is to book your theory test within a few weeks of starting your driving lessons. Do not get ready for your practical before booking your theory! There are two reasons for this:
i) I am not fully convinced you can even really be ready for your practical unless you know your theory because while 90% of theory is a load of common sense anyway - the 10% relating to road signs and road markings is impossible to live without.
ii) there can be a waiting list to do the theory and so you might end up doing your practical 3 months after you feel ready because you wanted to wait to feel ready for it before even doing your theory!
This would mean you continue three months of lessons while ready for the test wasting money on lessons you dont need or going into the test not having had regular lessons leading into it for the prvious three months. Neither of these is ideal.
(For anyone who has booked a theory test and would like any help preparing for it, feel free to email me on moostee90@hotmail.com and i will be happy to assist as much as possible - i spent 90 quid in a month on three tests to get the job done and hate the dsa fleecing money of learner motorists so happy to try to help our battle against the common enemy!)
iii) Be pro-active! Do not think that your one hour lesson a week for 6 months will get you where you need to be on its own. When walking the streets or sitting on busses or sitting in cars being driven, be observant! Pay attention to road signs, road markings and road layouts. Make it so that seeing speed limit signs, one way steeet signs, no entry signs, bend in the road signs etc etc are alllll second nature for you. Learn to look out for road markings and road signs telling you which lane goes straight ahead and which bend to the right or left. Chances are your instructor will not spoon feed this part to you and will kind of expect you to 'get it' yourself.
iv) Know the syllabus - there are only set things you have to do on the driving test and you should know all of them so there are no surprises. Be completely confident on performing ALL the things on the syllabus so nothing is left to chance. Driving for 40 minutes when you have nothing to concentrate on except for the road ahead should mean you do your best drive because after you pass your test - the road ahead will be mixed in with your thoughts about what you will eat for dinner, what your favorite football team might do in the match tonight etc etc. Also, the manner in which you drive during lessons and the test is the safest way. If you cannot go 40 minutes without producing one major error when driving in this prescribed manner, how do you expect to cope when you are left to your own devices?
v) Be confident. If you are not confident, then why do you want to take the test? If you fail, you have wasted time and money and if you pass - then you are allowed to drive on your own. If you are not a good driver, then why do you want to drive on your own putting yourself and others at risk? I felt like a good driver for around 6 months now and feel the biggest blessing was failing my first test 2 years ago - i did not know how to drive well back then and didnt know how bad i was till near my second test.
finally, if anyone would like any further thoughts or advice on their driving test, feel free to drop me a line. It is something that proved the cause of great distress for me for a long time and it would be an honour for me if i could help relieve the distress of not knowing how to drive from others.
That is all for today
Peace
Sunday 30 August 2009
Saturday 22 August 2009
nightly ablution
Readers,
First of all i would like to confess that one of the habits i chose for myself has kind of been left aside for two weeks. The habit in question is unfortunately the habit of reading and the reason this has happened is that i was finding large parts of the book i was reading very boring and was forcing myself to read.
In addition to this, i have been reading stuff online... but i know i need to re-ignite this habit at some stage soon - ideally by picking up something i will actually enjoy reading as well as benefit from educationally.
As many of you will also know, ramadan is starting either today or tomorrow subject to the sighting of the moon. Therefore it is a month of great opportunity to have our sins wiped out and replaced with good deeds and our bad habits to be replaced with good habits.
I dont believe i am capable of reforming my whole character through ramadan which is why i have opted for the one small change every 10 days.
In line with this new ideology, the next habit i will incorporate is the habit of performing the ablution before sleeping every night for the next 10 nights.
The benefit of going to sleep in ablution is that God rewards the person who does this as though he has stayed awake the whole night worshipping Allah.
I will be back in 10 days to add a new habit
by the way, the challenge of adding quality rather than merely routine to the habit of praying has been reasonably successful - but i think its really important to add complete isolation to the equation... praying with a closed door and not being able to see things from the corner of your eyes like your laptop or mobile phone would make a massive diffeence.
i need to look into this in more detail. The important thing is recognising the problems and slowly working towards solutions which will last a lifetime insha allah rather than try to do every life change in one day and fall flat on your face within a few days and then bein unable to make any changes at all.
That is all for today
Peace
First of all i would like to confess that one of the habits i chose for myself has kind of been left aside for two weeks. The habit in question is unfortunately the habit of reading and the reason this has happened is that i was finding large parts of the book i was reading very boring and was forcing myself to read.
In addition to this, i have been reading stuff online... but i know i need to re-ignite this habit at some stage soon - ideally by picking up something i will actually enjoy reading as well as benefit from educationally.
As many of you will also know, ramadan is starting either today or tomorrow subject to the sighting of the moon. Therefore it is a month of great opportunity to have our sins wiped out and replaced with good deeds and our bad habits to be replaced with good habits.
I dont believe i am capable of reforming my whole character through ramadan which is why i have opted for the one small change every 10 days.
In line with this new ideology, the next habit i will incorporate is the habit of performing the ablution before sleeping every night for the next 10 nights.
The benefit of going to sleep in ablution is that God rewards the person who does this as though he has stayed awake the whole night worshipping Allah.
I will be back in 10 days to add a new habit
by the way, the challenge of adding quality rather than merely routine to the habit of praying has been reasonably successful - but i think its really important to add complete isolation to the equation... praying with a closed door and not being able to see things from the corner of your eyes like your laptop or mobile phone would make a massive diffeence.
i need to look into this in more detail. The important thing is recognising the problems and slowly working towards solutions which will last a lifetime insha allah rather than try to do every life change in one day and fall flat on your face within a few days and then bein unable to make any changes at all.
That is all for today
Peace
Tuesday 11 August 2009
quality of habits
Readers,
The last couple of months i have found myself reflecting on the quality of how i carry out my habits rather than be pleased that i am merely routinely carrying them out.
I have come to find that while i am generally happy, I want to add three small habits to help improve the quality of my prayers.
i) When at home - have a separate item of clothing to change into which is kept only for praying. It takes 2 minutes to change my clothes before praying but it is guaranteed to help concentration in prayer because you have mentally taken a much more positive approach to the etiquette and importance of the task that is about to be performed. When at work, at least make the effort to roll my sleeves back down and do the buttons so that my arms are not exposed and i am dressed smartly.
ii) Apply a little perfume before the prayer.
iii) As a shi'ite, i believe it is recommended to wear a ring when praying so keep a ring inside the prayer mat at home and make the effort to put my ring back on my finger after wudhu at work.
I believe these three simple things will help me focus better on the gravity and importance of prayer and provide the platform for me to perform them in a manner which it should be performed in.
As always, the challenge is for 10 days after which time i try to add another one.
Peace
The last couple of months i have found myself reflecting on the quality of how i carry out my habits rather than be pleased that i am merely routinely carrying them out.
I have come to find that while i am generally happy, I want to add three small habits to help improve the quality of my prayers.
i) When at home - have a separate item of clothing to change into which is kept only for praying. It takes 2 minutes to change my clothes before praying but it is guaranteed to help concentration in prayer because you have mentally taken a much more positive approach to the etiquette and importance of the task that is about to be performed. When at work, at least make the effort to roll my sleeves back down and do the buttons so that my arms are not exposed and i am dressed smartly.
ii) Apply a little perfume before the prayer.
iii) As a shi'ite, i believe it is recommended to wear a ring when praying so keep a ring inside the prayer mat at home and make the effort to put my ring back on my finger after wudhu at work.
I believe these three simple things will help me focus better on the gravity and importance of prayer and provide the platform for me to perform them in a manner which it should be performed in.
As always, the challenge is for 10 days after which time i try to add another one.
Peace
Tuesday 28 July 2009
weight training
Readers,
I have not posted for quite a long time for two main reasons:
i) I fell sick around 2 and a bit weeks ago when i was due to post and as a result couldnt even maintain the majority of the habits i had already formed or gone some way to forming let alone think about which new habit i want to take on.
ii) shortly after recovering, i took a 10 day vacation to my motherland - India. Being an indian meant i always intended to visit one day and as the way life works out - it proved an excellent vacation because i also found that special person over there, visited the site of my grandmothers grave and got my teeth cleaned for the average price of a haircut a barber in london would charge - probably even less.
again while on vacation, due to the nature of my accomodation and personal circumstances - i was unable to maintain the habits as strictly as i would have liked - and some were ignored altogether.
However, i am back in london.... back healthy (to a reasonable enough degree) - and i thought it is as good a time as any to revitalise my blog.
the first thing i would like to say is that even though the last three weeks or so have seen me fail to perform these habits precisely in terms of time and even doing... i still consider all the things gone through as my habits and will work tirelessly to keep them embedded into my life.
secondly, it is unrealistic to go through life without failing in some routines on occasion when the unexpected happens... it is life - we are not robots... and i have learnt to become a lot more forgiving of my perfectionist nature.
finally... the next habit i will incorporate is mild weight training three times a week - this will be done on tuesdays thursdays and saturdays.
this will complement my abs training on mon, weds and fris.
sunday is day of rest. :-)
this will keep me healthy and happy.... health is wealth after all right... and looking good is feeling good.
ok finally... since i have been out the loop for so long, im going to make a quick list of habits previously mentioned so i have a checklist without having to read every post to remember..
i) prioritising subh namaz over sleep
ii) prioritising zuhr and asr namaz over television and internet usage
iii) prioritising maghrib and isha namaz over television and internet usage
iv) hoovering the house when necessary up to twice a week (wednesdays and sundays)
v) sunnat wudhoo instead of only obligatory one
vi) quran and translation - 10 verses a day
vii) brush twice a day
viii) shower before breakfast
ix)shave three times a week (mons, weds, sats)
x) polish shoes on tuesdays
xi) gather clothes and wash on fridays
xii) abs exercise on mons, weds, fris
xiii) reading every day (try at least 15 mins or one chapter)
xiv) eat an apple every day
xv) weight training
scrapped ones:
i) sleeping before midnight - one day :-)
ii) revising for theory driving test - passed it so can focus on the practical.
ok that is all from me for today
peace
probably wont post till the 11th august
watch this space.
I have not posted for quite a long time for two main reasons:
i) I fell sick around 2 and a bit weeks ago when i was due to post and as a result couldnt even maintain the majority of the habits i had already formed or gone some way to forming let alone think about which new habit i want to take on.
ii) shortly after recovering, i took a 10 day vacation to my motherland - India. Being an indian meant i always intended to visit one day and as the way life works out - it proved an excellent vacation because i also found that special person over there, visited the site of my grandmothers grave and got my teeth cleaned for the average price of a haircut a barber in london would charge - probably even less.
again while on vacation, due to the nature of my accomodation and personal circumstances - i was unable to maintain the habits as strictly as i would have liked - and some were ignored altogether.
However, i am back in london.... back healthy (to a reasonable enough degree) - and i thought it is as good a time as any to revitalise my blog.
the first thing i would like to say is that even though the last three weeks or so have seen me fail to perform these habits precisely in terms of time and even doing... i still consider all the things gone through as my habits and will work tirelessly to keep them embedded into my life.
secondly, it is unrealistic to go through life without failing in some routines on occasion when the unexpected happens... it is life - we are not robots... and i have learnt to become a lot more forgiving of my perfectionist nature.
finally... the next habit i will incorporate is mild weight training three times a week - this will be done on tuesdays thursdays and saturdays.
this will complement my abs training on mon, weds and fris.
sunday is day of rest. :-)
this will keep me healthy and happy.... health is wealth after all right... and looking good is feeling good.
ok finally... since i have been out the loop for so long, im going to make a quick list of habits previously mentioned so i have a checklist without having to read every post to remember..
i) prioritising subh namaz over sleep
ii) prioritising zuhr and asr namaz over television and internet usage
iii) prioritising maghrib and isha namaz over television and internet usage
iv) hoovering the house when necessary up to twice a week (wednesdays and sundays)
v) sunnat wudhoo instead of only obligatory one
vi) quran and translation - 10 verses a day
vii) brush twice a day
viii) shower before breakfast
ix)shave three times a week (mons, weds, sats)
x) polish shoes on tuesdays
xi) gather clothes and wash on fridays
xii) abs exercise on mons, weds, fris
xiii) reading every day (try at least 15 mins or one chapter)
xiv) eat an apple every day
xv) weight training
scrapped ones:
i) sleeping before midnight - one day :-)
ii) revising for theory driving test - passed it so can focus on the practical.
ok that is all from me for today
peace
probably wont post till the 11th august
watch this space.
Wednesday 1 July 2009
Apples
Readers,
For a long time i have intended to incorporate the habit of eating five portions of fruit a day. However, i have always been too lazy to actually do it. It is for this reason that i am going to incorporate the eating of a single fruit a day.
I am going to start with the apple.
After all - an apple a day keeps the doctor away right? :-)
We will see how that works out.
My habit for the next 10 days is to eat one apple every day.
That is all
Peace
For a long time i have intended to incorporate the habit of eating five portions of fruit a day. However, i have always been too lazy to actually do it. It is for this reason that i am going to incorporate the eating of a single fruit a day.
I am going to start with the apple.
After all - an apple a day keeps the doctor away right? :-)
We will see how that works out.
My habit for the next 10 days is to eat one apple every day.
That is all
Peace
Friday 26 June 2009
'Bonus Post'
Readers,
I am pleased to inform you that i passed my theory driving test today.
I would also like to say that it was not using the advice previously offered up... although most of it was pretty spot on.
As usual i blitzed the multiple choice element of the test securing 49 out of the 50 marks on offer... and scored 58 out of the 75 on offer for the hazard perception.
The main purpose of this post is to make two points:
i) we never fail at anything. we may succeed in discovering several more ways not to do something than we would have liked in an ideal world but we never fail - not in the truest sense of the word - unless of course we give up.
ii) if any of my readers are going to undertake the theory driving test in the UK and are unsure of what to expect in the hazard perception element of the driving test - feel free to contact me and i will try to do my bit to help you through.
I dont charge for this 'service' mainly because other than my own experience... i dont know how well it will work.. but also.. because theres a credit crunch.. and the government is stealing peoples money by making them sit the stupid hazard perception element of the test in the first place... and i would like to do the humane thing and save people money - not make them pay a little more now to potentially save money later!
That is all.
Peace be with you all.
I am pleased to inform you that i passed my theory driving test today.
I would also like to say that it was not using the advice previously offered up... although most of it was pretty spot on.
As usual i blitzed the multiple choice element of the test securing 49 out of the 50 marks on offer... and scored 58 out of the 75 on offer for the hazard perception.
The main purpose of this post is to make two points:
i) we never fail at anything. we may succeed in discovering several more ways not to do something than we would have liked in an ideal world but we never fail - not in the truest sense of the word - unless of course we give up.
ii) if any of my readers are going to undertake the theory driving test in the UK and are unsure of what to expect in the hazard perception element of the driving test - feel free to contact me and i will try to do my bit to help you through.
I dont charge for this 'service' mainly because other than my own experience... i dont know how well it will work.. but also.. because theres a credit crunch.. and the government is stealing peoples money by making them sit the stupid hazard perception element of the test in the first place... and i would like to do the humane thing and save people money - not make them pay a little more now to potentially save money later!
That is all.
Peace be with you all.
Sunday 21 June 2009
Washing
Readers,
Another 10 days have passed by seamlessly quickly and it is time to incorporate a new habit into my life.
What i have come to find is that i have added around 4 habits which i have not published in the last two weeks or so and for fear of them fading out and disrupting the whole progress made thus far - i will formalise them even though they are not necessarily starting from the moment they are published on this site.
The next habit i am formalising is the habit to collect my vests and socks every day and wash them together on friday to ensure that they do not go missing, are always clean and in plentiful supply.
The last habit I incorporated was a 'religious habit'.
This one i would classify as a 'hygeine based habit'.
The next one in 10 days will be a 'health/diet based habit'.
I have already incorporated a habit to spend 15 mins every day reading and not sure if i can commit to any further 'education' based habits which will not burden me beyond what i can do without breaking down and may wait a few months before adding something to that front.
As for random miscellaneous habits - they will be added as and when a need arises for them at no pre set regular intervals...
That is all for today
Peace
Another 10 days have passed by seamlessly quickly and it is time to incorporate a new habit into my life.
What i have come to find is that i have added around 4 habits which i have not published in the last two weeks or so and for fear of them fading out and disrupting the whole progress made thus far - i will formalise them even though they are not necessarily starting from the moment they are published on this site.
The next habit i am formalising is the habit to collect my vests and socks every day and wash them together on friday to ensure that they do not go missing, are always clean and in plentiful supply.
The last habit I incorporated was a 'religious habit'.
This one i would classify as a 'hygeine based habit'.
The next one in 10 days will be a 'health/diet based habit'.
I have already incorporated a habit to spend 15 mins every day reading and not sure if i can commit to any further 'education' based habits which will not burden me beyond what i can do without breaking down and may wait a few months before adding something to that front.
As for random miscellaneous habits - they will be added as and when a need arises for them at no pre set regular intervals...
That is all for today
Peace
Thursday 11 June 2009
Quran Recitation
Readers,
I am pleased to say i have successfully managed to incorporate 15 minutes of reading every day for the last 10 days and intend to maintain this habit.
I have also discovered in the last 10 days that exercising my abs 7 days a week is counterproductive and that it is better to exercise them three times a week with at least a day rest between days of exercise to allow them to recover and build muscle.
Therefore i am also amending my habit of performing 10 push ups as well as abs exercises every day to doing these exercises on mondays, wednesdays and fridays.
I will stick with this for one month and assess my progress then.
The next habit i want to incorporate into my life is the habit of reading ten verses of the arabic text of the holy quran each and every day along with the translation.
I pray to God i have the strength, perserverance, patience and determination to follow this through and make this a habit and can return in ten days to incorporate a new habit into my life.
That is all for today.
Peace
I am pleased to say i have successfully managed to incorporate 15 minutes of reading every day for the last 10 days and intend to maintain this habit.
I have also discovered in the last 10 days that exercising my abs 7 days a week is counterproductive and that it is better to exercise them three times a week with at least a day rest between days of exercise to allow them to recover and build muscle.
Therefore i am also amending my habit of performing 10 push ups as well as abs exercises every day to doing these exercises on mondays, wednesdays and fridays.
I will stick with this for one month and assess my progress then.
The next habit i want to incorporate into my life is the habit of reading ten verses of the arabic text of the holy quran each and every day along with the translation.
I pray to God i have the strength, perserverance, patience and determination to follow this through and make this a habit and can return in ten days to incorporate a new habit into my life.
That is all for today.
Peace
Sunday 31 May 2009
Reading
Readers,
Ten more days have passed since the introduction of my last habit.
thankfully i have managed to fulfil my latest commitment of daily exercise through press ups and a five minute abs work out i found on youtube.
i cant really see any physical change yet but its only been 10 days and i havent changed my diet as well so theres a lot more progress to be made in terms of health, fitness and physique but its a good start.
The next habit i am going to strive to incorporate is 15 mins reading as a bare minimum every day. This does not include newspapers, websites, magazines, post or teletext. It must be a book. i am not going to try to incorporate a habit of reading non fiction only... as i just want to incorporate the habit of actually reading and can refocus my efforts into what i want to be reading later.
I feel this is an important habit because it will keep my mind sharp, keep my vocabulary constantly improving and evolving and most importantly - reading is probably the greatest source of gaining knowledge.
I wont bother documenting what i read on this blog but if i come across any particularly fantastic books, i will let you know. I also welcome suggestions for reading material of all genres.
Although i am writing about the attempt of my new habit now, i actually have already done my readng for today. Most likely i will do my reading for the day after the morning prayer and exercise. Again it is not important when i fit it in as long as i do and every single day to make it a habit which i must do before i can sleep at night.
i havent spent any more time revising for my theory driving test because i feel it is a game of luck... will do a mock hazard perception and a coupla practise quesiton tests on my days off between now and the theory test.... but dont go in with any great conviction that *i will pass* because i consider it the same as roling a dice.
having said that, i will keep rolling till it lands right :)
thats all for today. i will be back in 10 days to let you all know how the addition of this new habit is going and what my next habit will be.
peace
Ten more days have passed since the introduction of my last habit.
thankfully i have managed to fulfil my latest commitment of daily exercise through press ups and a five minute abs work out i found on youtube.
i cant really see any physical change yet but its only been 10 days and i havent changed my diet as well so theres a lot more progress to be made in terms of health, fitness and physique but its a good start.
The next habit i am going to strive to incorporate is 15 mins reading as a bare minimum every day. This does not include newspapers, websites, magazines, post or teletext. It must be a book. i am not going to try to incorporate a habit of reading non fiction only... as i just want to incorporate the habit of actually reading and can refocus my efforts into what i want to be reading later.
I feel this is an important habit because it will keep my mind sharp, keep my vocabulary constantly improving and evolving and most importantly - reading is probably the greatest source of gaining knowledge.
I wont bother documenting what i read on this blog but if i come across any particularly fantastic books, i will let you know. I also welcome suggestions for reading material of all genres.
Although i am writing about the attempt of my new habit now, i actually have already done my readng for today. Most likely i will do my reading for the day after the morning prayer and exercise. Again it is not important when i fit it in as long as i do and every single day to make it a habit which i must do before i can sleep at night.
i havent spent any more time revising for my theory driving test because i feel it is a game of luck... will do a mock hazard perception and a coupla practise quesiton tests on my days off between now and the theory test.... but dont go in with any great conviction that *i will pass* because i consider it the same as roling a dice.
having said that, i will keep rolling till it lands right :)
thats all for today. i will be back in 10 days to let you all know how the addition of this new habit is going and what my next habit will be.
peace
Wednesday 27 May 2009
theory test
Readers,
This is a post just to let off some steam... rather than reflect on habits as per usual.
I failed my theory test yesterday having scored 50/50 on the multiple choice aspect of the question but only 38/75 on the hazard perception element of the test.
What i have come to realise is that the hazard perception test was created entirely to extort more money out of would be motorists. After all, it is impossible to pass the practical test which is ultra strict (with only a 43% nationwide pass rate) if you have not got hazard perception skills!
Therefore having this 'computer game' like test which is a lot harder to pass than it should be due to ridiculous rules and the refusal of the government to properly explain how the software works makes me frustrated and angry but no longer embarassed about it.
After all, the pass mark for the theory is 63%. Thats right only 63%!!! for a theory!! but there you go.
i was hoping to be able to officially give up the whole revising for the theory test thing.. but as i have rebooked it - i need to continue to revise.. however im gonna stop revising for the multiple choice element till 4 or 5 days before the test and focus entirely on the hazard perception. Having been penalised twice for clicking too much i am determined to not let this happen again. Therefore I am introducing how i will handle my next test to prevent this:
i) maximum 8 clicks per clip
ii) wait at least two seconds between clicks
iii) wait approx 1.5 seconds after you have spotted 'developing hazard' before clicking and avoid clicking for it again as it develops further.. unless further 'clues' pop up and remember the two second rule - v. v. important!
iv) a developing hazard can be one of the following:
a) cyclists
b) pedestrians
c) children
d) motorcycles
e) disabled cars
f) zebra crossings
g) red lights
h) roadworks
i) lollipop man
j) animals (horses, sheep)
k) cars joing main road from side streets
l) cars indicating
m) car doors opening
n) cars performing maneouvres
o) cars slowing down
v) Do not click because the driver has changed lane because of parked cars when there is no sign of the above - its waaasting clicks!
vi) do not click because a driver has taken a left or right turn. Only if they have to slow down or change direction because of the 15 odd points mentioned above.
I could be wrong with my assessment above so please nobody use it as though it is 'proven advice' on how to pass the hazard perception... but once i retake my test in three weeks and hopefully pass... i will let you know how well it worked/didnt!
that is all.
be back in a few days with details of my new habit.
peace
This is a post just to let off some steam... rather than reflect on habits as per usual.
I failed my theory test yesterday having scored 50/50 on the multiple choice aspect of the question but only 38/75 on the hazard perception element of the test.
What i have come to realise is that the hazard perception test was created entirely to extort more money out of would be motorists. After all, it is impossible to pass the practical test which is ultra strict (with only a 43% nationwide pass rate) if you have not got hazard perception skills!
Therefore having this 'computer game' like test which is a lot harder to pass than it should be due to ridiculous rules and the refusal of the government to properly explain how the software works makes me frustrated and angry but no longer embarassed about it.
After all, the pass mark for the theory is 63%. Thats right only 63%!!! for a theory!! but there you go.
i was hoping to be able to officially give up the whole revising for the theory test thing.. but as i have rebooked it - i need to continue to revise.. however im gonna stop revising for the multiple choice element till 4 or 5 days before the test and focus entirely on the hazard perception. Having been penalised twice for clicking too much i am determined to not let this happen again. Therefore I am introducing how i will handle my next test to prevent this:
i) maximum 8 clicks per clip
ii) wait at least two seconds between clicks
iii) wait approx 1.5 seconds after you have spotted 'developing hazard' before clicking and avoid clicking for it again as it develops further.. unless further 'clues' pop up and remember the two second rule - v. v. important!
iv) a developing hazard can be one of the following:
a) cyclists
b) pedestrians
c) children
d) motorcycles
e) disabled cars
f) zebra crossings
g) red lights
h) roadworks
i) lollipop man
j) animals (horses, sheep)
k) cars joing main road from side streets
l) cars indicating
m) car doors opening
n) cars performing maneouvres
o) cars slowing down
v) Do not click because the driver has changed lane because of parked cars when there is no sign of the above - its waaasting clicks!
vi) do not click because a driver has taken a left or right turn. Only if they have to slow down or change direction because of the 15 odd points mentioned above.
I could be wrong with my assessment above so please nobody use it as though it is 'proven advice' on how to pass the hazard perception... but once i retake my test in three weeks and hopefully pass... i will let you know how well it worked/didnt!
that is all.
be back in a few days with details of my new habit.
peace
Thursday 21 May 2009
Exercise
Readers,
My last habit i committed to was polishing my shoes on tuesdays. I have successfully done this and am happy my shoes are almost always now looking in tip top shape.
i have also been doing mock tests for my theory test - which has been a doddle.. except there is no proper way to revise for the hazard perception. still i have done some reading around it and want to share for anyone who stumbles across this site per chance and hasnt done it yet.
there are 14 video clips which are all approximately one minute long. In these 14 videos there are countless hazards - of which only 15 *materialise*. This means 15 hazards *actually* become a problem which the driver (whose eys you are looking through) has to take action by either changing speed or direction.
The test ONLY marks the candidate for the hazards which *actually* materialise.
Each hazard is marked out 5. The quicker you click on the screen to say you identified the hazard, the more marks you get. Once a hazard is materialising to the moment it finishes, you can register as many clicks as you want without fear of 'cheating'.
My tactics: *click twice reasonably early on as a hazard is developing - and click up to 5 or even 6 times when a hazard is in full swing*.
Ok thats all on the past.
The next habit i am choosing for myself from today is to perform approximately 10 minutes of exercise every single day.
This is through two forms of exercise:
i) 10 press ups.
ii) approx 3 mins of stomach crunchers.
i have not decided if it will be done in the mornings or nights, the important thing is it will be done every single day without fail.
i will be back in 10 days to let you all know how it goes.
If i insha allah pass my theory test next tuesday, i am sure there will be a 'bonus' post letting you all know and also taking the pleasure in being allowed to remove this habit of studying for it in the mornings!
that is all
peace
My last habit i committed to was polishing my shoes on tuesdays. I have successfully done this and am happy my shoes are almost always now looking in tip top shape.
i have also been doing mock tests for my theory test - which has been a doddle.. except there is no proper way to revise for the hazard perception. still i have done some reading around it and want to share for anyone who stumbles across this site per chance and hasnt done it yet.
there are 14 video clips which are all approximately one minute long. In these 14 videos there are countless hazards - of which only 15 *materialise*. This means 15 hazards *actually* become a problem which the driver (whose eys you are looking through) has to take action by either changing speed or direction.
The test ONLY marks the candidate for the hazards which *actually* materialise.
Each hazard is marked out 5. The quicker you click on the screen to say you identified the hazard, the more marks you get. Once a hazard is materialising to the moment it finishes, you can register as many clicks as you want without fear of 'cheating'.
My tactics: *click twice reasonably early on as a hazard is developing - and click up to 5 or even 6 times when a hazard is in full swing*.
Ok thats all on the past.
The next habit i am choosing for myself from today is to perform approximately 10 minutes of exercise every single day.
This is through two forms of exercise:
i) 10 press ups.
ii) approx 3 mins of stomach crunchers.
i have not decided if it will be done in the mornings or nights, the important thing is it will be done every single day without fail.
i will be back in 10 days to let you all know how it goes.
If i insha allah pass my theory test next tuesday, i am sure there will be a 'bonus' post letting you all know and also taking the pleasure in being allowed to remove this habit of studying for it in the mornings!
that is all
peace
Monday 11 May 2009
shoe polishing
readers,
as you are aware, for the last three months or so - i have been introducing a new habit into my life every 10 days in an effort to seek perfection but not too quickly so as to fall flat on my face.
so far things have gone very well. My last task was to revise for my theory test dailly - which fortunately i have managed to do - usually after the morning prayer before going for a second round of sleep.
i have passed my last 15 mock tests so feel very confident on the theory element of the test. unfortunately theres no practise exercises for the hazard perception element of the test. i only just scraped this element last time... but at least i had the experience so i know whats coming.... regardless, 10-15 mins every day doing mock tests should be more than enough to succeed in the main part of the test.
i have also changed my hours from part time to full time at carphone warehouse. this means waking up an hour earlier four days a week including wednesdays which is a hoovering day as well as mondays and saturdays which are now shaving days.
with the change in my working hours as well as the stress and boredom of revising for a theory test every day- i have given myself a very light new habit for the next 10 days. it is a weekly shoe polish. every tuesday i will spend 5-10 mins polishing my shoes. this is important to me because i work in sales and also living in london means you are very likely to walk into a puddle of rain by accident at least once a week and its nothing a good polish wont fix.
i cant envisage any difficulties with this because i even have tuesdays off - i could forget i suppose.. but the first day to do it is tomorrow... and i am not really a forgetful person as such.
i look forward to a lifetime of cleaner and shinier shoes!
that is all
peace
as you are aware, for the last three months or so - i have been introducing a new habit into my life every 10 days in an effort to seek perfection but not too quickly so as to fall flat on my face.
so far things have gone very well. My last task was to revise for my theory test dailly - which fortunately i have managed to do - usually after the morning prayer before going for a second round of sleep.
i have passed my last 15 mock tests so feel very confident on the theory element of the test. unfortunately theres no practise exercises for the hazard perception element of the test. i only just scraped this element last time... but at least i had the experience so i know whats coming.... regardless, 10-15 mins every day doing mock tests should be more than enough to succeed in the main part of the test.
i have also changed my hours from part time to full time at carphone warehouse. this means waking up an hour earlier four days a week including wednesdays which is a hoovering day as well as mondays and saturdays which are now shaving days.
with the change in my working hours as well as the stress and boredom of revising for a theory test every day- i have given myself a very light new habit for the next 10 days. it is a weekly shoe polish. every tuesday i will spend 5-10 mins polishing my shoes. this is important to me because i work in sales and also living in london means you are very likely to walk into a puddle of rain by accident at least once a week and its nothing a good polish wont fix.
i cant envisage any difficulties with this because i even have tuesdays off - i could forget i suppose.. but the first day to do it is tomorrow... and i am not really a forgetful person as such.
i look forward to a lifetime of cleaner and shinier shoes!
that is all
peace
Friday 1 May 2009
its that magical time again
Readers,
10 days have passed since my last habit was added so lets have a quick recap.
i committed to shaving three times a week to keep myself looking groomed at all times without having to worry about getting groomed for any random events like birthdays or weddings.
the good news is that i managed to follow through on this commitment. The bad news is that my razor blade is completely blunt and so the last couple of shaves havent been to the high standard i envisaged. Still i have subsequently replaced it and have vowed to change the blade at least once a month. I have also opted to change the habit from shaving to 'facial hair maintenance' bringing trimming and shaving into a collective habit - trimming when necesary - and shaving as the bare minimum on the three days.
The next habit i have chosen for myself is a transient one which hopefully i can scrap after three weeks. My theory test has expired so i have rebooked the test and my commitment is to put in 30 minutes study minimum every day. This is different from usual as normally i am trying to incorporate a lifelong habit into my life - but this is something i really need to do and making it my commitment will help me achieve. I have gone against my nature by booking the test before starting studying... with the idea being i will be studied up and ready to go by the time it comes rather than get ready and then book.
As always, i will be back in 10 days to share how the commitment is going and make a new one.
its time to put this driving lark to bed once and for all!
peace
10 days have passed since my last habit was added so lets have a quick recap.
i committed to shaving three times a week to keep myself looking groomed at all times without having to worry about getting groomed for any random events like birthdays or weddings.
the good news is that i managed to follow through on this commitment. The bad news is that my razor blade is completely blunt and so the last couple of shaves havent been to the high standard i envisaged. Still i have subsequently replaced it and have vowed to change the blade at least once a month. I have also opted to change the habit from shaving to 'facial hair maintenance' bringing trimming and shaving into a collective habit - trimming when necesary - and shaving as the bare minimum on the three days.
The next habit i have chosen for myself is a transient one which hopefully i can scrap after three weeks. My theory test has expired so i have rebooked the test and my commitment is to put in 30 minutes study minimum every day. This is different from usual as normally i am trying to incorporate a lifelong habit into my life - but this is something i really need to do and making it my commitment will help me achieve. I have gone against my nature by booking the test before starting studying... with the idea being i will be studied up and ready to go by the time it comes rather than get ready and then book.
As always, i will be back in 10 days to share how the commitment is going and make a new one.
its time to put this driving lark to bed once and for all!
peace
Tuesday 21 April 2009
shaving
reader(s),
the 10 days have passed by again and i have succesfully incorporated the recommended method of ablution and it has had the desired effect.
the next habit i have chosen to take on is shaving three times a week.
every monday, wednesday and saturday i will shave - not trim mind - just shave.
i will probably trim twice a week - but thats a habit for another time.
in the last two months i have trimmed my beard regularly and therefore dont find there a problem for me to solve but shaving has been.
its such a pain shaving - cos more often than not - trimming with the shaver head off is almost as good as a shave - problem is it is not quite... and therefore i am not going to settle for almost looking as good as i can..
looking good is feeling good.. and feelng good exudes goodness.. both in terms of sales and just general feel good factor in life and thats what i want.
last two weeks i have hoovered only once... but not out of laziness.. the house has just been clean.
i have also prayed a little late (not qaza) once or twice because i was watching football till half time... but alls well.
parents are back in two days... the holidys almost over..
nothing else to really report.
peace
the 10 days have passed by again and i have succesfully incorporated the recommended method of ablution and it has had the desired effect.
the next habit i have chosen to take on is shaving three times a week.
every monday, wednesday and saturday i will shave - not trim mind - just shave.
i will probably trim twice a week - but thats a habit for another time.
in the last two months i have trimmed my beard regularly and therefore dont find there a problem for me to solve but shaving has been.
its such a pain shaving - cos more often than not - trimming with the shaver head off is almost as good as a shave - problem is it is not quite... and therefore i am not going to settle for almost looking as good as i can..
looking good is feeling good.. and feelng good exudes goodness.. both in terms of sales and just general feel good factor in life and thats what i want.
last two weeks i have hoovered only once... but not out of laziness.. the house has just been clean.
i have also prayed a little late (not qaza) once or twice because i was watching football till half time... but alls well.
parents are back in two days... the holidys almost over..
nothing else to really report.
peace
Saturday 11 April 2009
next habit in line..
hello guys
the last 10 days i committed to brushing my teeth twice a day.
i have achieved this easily.
i forced myself to do this even when i went to sleep after 1 am and was still eating or drinking at this time.
this ensured i achieved that i went to bed with my teeth clean from the sugar consumed in the day.
my next challenge is to perform the recommended method of ablution before the five dailly prayers rather than merely the obligatory one.
the reason for this is that by forcing myself to remember to do the recommended one, i become more conscious of what i am doing rather than merely going through the motions.
also the recommended manner ensures a smoother operation as often times in the past my hands have been nearly dry by the time it came to finishing off the ablution making it impossible to wipe the feet making them wet - meaning i had to do it again.
this probably wont make sense to any non-muslims and even non shi'ite muslims.. and come to think of it maybe even some shi'ites - but i know what it means and the challenge is for me.
once i have done this for 10 days i will be back with the next one. i will try to make the next one more universal for everybody.
just to keep this interesting :)
peace
the last 10 days i committed to brushing my teeth twice a day.
i have achieved this easily.
i forced myself to do this even when i went to sleep after 1 am and was still eating or drinking at this time.
this ensured i achieved that i went to bed with my teeth clean from the sugar consumed in the day.
my next challenge is to perform the recommended method of ablution before the five dailly prayers rather than merely the obligatory one.
the reason for this is that by forcing myself to remember to do the recommended one, i become more conscious of what i am doing rather than merely going through the motions.
also the recommended manner ensures a smoother operation as often times in the past my hands have been nearly dry by the time it came to finishing off the ablution making it impossible to wipe the feet making them wet - meaning i had to do it again.
this probably wont make sense to any non-muslims and even non shi'ite muslims.. and come to think of it maybe even some shi'ites - but i know what it means and the challenge is for me.
once i have done this for 10 days i will be back with the next one. i will try to make the next one more universal for everybody.
just to keep this interesting :)
peace
Tuesday 31 March 2009
60 days
Readers,
sixty days have passed since my journey to transform my life through incorporating a new habit every 10 days. the last 10 days was spent trying to incorporate a habit of sleeping at midnight.i failed miserably virtually every night and have come to the conclusion that this is not even a habit that is important to make at this stage in life considering i can wake up at 9 15 am every morning on working days giving me plenty of sleeping time even if i sleep at 1!
i also 'broke' the hoovering habit as i didnt hoover on the last sunday gone by. having said that, the house was clean and so i decided there was no point doing so just to keep a habit. the house has subsequently got dirty and i will certainly hoover tomorrow.
the next habit i aim to incorporate starting from tomorrow is to brush my teeth twice a day - once before i shower and once before i sleep.
this wont result in me sleeping later.. as its a 2 min job.
it will ensure my teeth are always clean.. and that i stop eating sweets, chocolate and other junk after i have brushed.
its a very simple and minor thing but im sure there are loads of us who have half mentally commited to this many many times yet never maintain it.
i am committing to this for 10 days.
(thats not to say i will stop after 10 days... but a 10 day commitment is lss threatening)
thus far i have stopped nothing i started except the sleep thing... and thats a positive.. because it shows i am not a robot.
i look forward to 10 days of fresh breath and clean teeth.
i shall be back on the 10th of april to share how my experience went.
peace
sixty days have passed since my journey to transform my life through incorporating a new habit every 10 days. the last 10 days was spent trying to incorporate a habit of sleeping at midnight.i failed miserably virtually every night and have come to the conclusion that this is not even a habit that is important to make at this stage in life considering i can wake up at 9 15 am every morning on working days giving me plenty of sleeping time even if i sleep at 1!
i also 'broke' the hoovering habit as i didnt hoover on the last sunday gone by. having said that, the house was clean and so i decided there was no point doing so just to keep a habit. the house has subsequently got dirty and i will certainly hoover tomorrow.
the next habit i aim to incorporate starting from tomorrow is to brush my teeth twice a day - once before i shower and once before i sleep.
this wont result in me sleeping later.. as its a 2 min job.
it will ensure my teeth are always clean.. and that i stop eating sweets, chocolate and other junk after i have brushed.
its a very simple and minor thing but im sure there are loads of us who have half mentally commited to this many many times yet never maintain it.
i am committing to this for 10 days.
(thats not to say i will stop after 10 days... but a 10 day commitment is lss threatening)
thus far i have stopped nothing i started except the sleep thing... and thats a positive.. because it shows i am not a robot.
i look forward to 10 days of fresh breath and clean teeth.
i shall be back on the 10th of april to share how my experience went.
peace
Saturday 21 March 2009
Reflections
Readers,
as promised, i am maintaining my posts on a ten dailly basis.
the challenge set out in the last 10 days was to shower before 9-15 a.m and before breakfast.
i achieved the 'before breakfast' part every single day but failed in the before 9 a.m department on one day because i slept at my cousins house and opted to come home and shower at 10 am rather than at 8 am.
i also maintained the other four habits so its been a very successful 10 days.
my next challenge is to turn off all the lights at midnight including telly main switch located on telly rather than mere standby and not turning it on till following morning after shower (telly that is.. not so much lights as i use them while praying morning prayer).
this will achieve two things:
i) a disciplined healthy sleeping pattern
ii) saving electricity while sleeping on standby light on telly.
Life is great. As it has been 50 days from my first habit, forty days have passed on my second habit meaning its close to becoming ingrained and automatic behaviour.
there is no real temptation to stop these habits.
in fact manchester united lost their last two matches which i am sure in the past would have damaged my spiritual psyche but my life has taken on greater meaning in the last 50 days. am i upset they lost? of course - i have not become a robot. but if i had the choice to slip on even one of my new habits for just a day deliberately for no good reason to trade it for a manchester united triumph.. i feel i wouldnt do it.
back in 10 days.. hopefully with more positive news about my new challenge.
as promised, i am maintaining my posts on a ten dailly basis.
the challenge set out in the last 10 days was to shower before 9-15 a.m and before breakfast.
i achieved the 'before breakfast' part every single day but failed in the before 9 a.m department on one day because i slept at my cousins house and opted to come home and shower at 10 am rather than at 8 am.
i also maintained the other four habits so its been a very successful 10 days.
my next challenge is to turn off all the lights at midnight including telly main switch located on telly rather than mere standby and not turning it on till following morning after shower (telly that is.. not so much lights as i use them while praying morning prayer).
this will achieve two things:
i) a disciplined healthy sleeping pattern
ii) saving electricity while sleeping on standby light on telly.
Life is great. As it has been 50 days from my first habit, forty days have passed on my second habit meaning its close to becoming ingrained and automatic behaviour.
there is no real temptation to stop these habits.
in fact manchester united lost their last two matches which i am sure in the past would have damaged my spiritual psyche but my life has taken on greater meaning in the last 50 days. am i upset they lost? of course - i have not become a robot. but if i had the choice to slip on even one of my new habits for just a day deliberately for no good reason to trade it for a manchester united triumph.. i feel i wouldnt do it.
back in 10 days.. hopefully with more positive news about my new challenge.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Challenge Number Five
Readers,
It has been 40 days since my first challenge and i have successfully stuck to the first task of praying the morning prayer on time.
It has been 30 days since my second challenge and this has been obstructed slightly by the fact that i am sometimes at work due to my extended hours. still i have achieved it but am not altogether happy with regard to this but do not want to bore you with the details.
it has been 20 days since my third challenge and it is quite similar to the second challenge in that it has been challenging due to increased and unpleasant working hours but i have still pretty much done as intended.
with regard to 'prayers' and praying on time and prioritising it over internet and telly, as good as it is, it is also as much about quality as it is timing. praying at work under time and comfort restraints affects the quality... and perhaps i need to think of a challenge in the future to rectify this short coming in what the challenge was supposed to achieve.
with regard to the latest challenge of hoovering the house, i have hoovered on every wednesday and sunday but only once the whole house. in truth the whole house doesnt need to be hoovered twice a week and i think hoovering twice a week has achieved the three desirable effects sought:
i) house stays clean
ii) mother dearest has one less chore to worry about
iii) i continue to form good habits which will stand me in excellent stead for the rest of my life.
so with four challenges achieved, it is that time of the month to add on another.
i have opted to add on showering in the mornings before work as opposed to after work or 'in the afternoons' on days i work late so that i form a good routine of being up early and freshening up early. the challenge is to be in the shower by 9-15 am at the latest every day and shower before breakfast.
this will ensure that i am not snoozing till the latest time possible on working days and that i am maximising awake time on my days off.
i will be back in 10 days to let you all know how it went and what challenge i am setting out for the next 10 days from then.
till then, i wish you all peace and safety.
Mustafa
It has been 40 days since my first challenge and i have successfully stuck to the first task of praying the morning prayer on time.
It has been 30 days since my second challenge and this has been obstructed slightly by the fact that i am sometimes at work due to my extended hours. still i have achieved it but am not altogether happy with regard to this but do not want to bore you with the details.
it has been 20 days since my third challenge and it is quite similar to the second challenge in that it has been challenging due to increased and unpleasant working hours but i have still pretty much done as intended.
with regard to 'prayers' and praying on time and prioritising it over internet and telly, as good as it is, it is also as much about quality as it is timing. praying at work under time and comfort restraints affects the quality... and perhaps i need to think of a challenge in the future to rectify this short coming in what the challenge was supposed to achieve.
with regard to the latest challenge of hoovering the house, i have hoovered on every wednesday and sunday but only once the whole house. in truth the whole house doesnt need to be hoovered twice a week and i think hoovering twice a week has achieved the three desirable effects sought:
i) house stays clean
ii) mother dearest has one less chore to worry about
iii) i continue to form good habits which will stand me in excellent stead for the rest of my life.
so with four challenges achieved, it is that time of the month to add on another.
i have opted to add on showering in the mornings before work as opposed to after work or 'in the afternoons' on days i work late so that i form a good routine of being up early and freshening up early. the challenge is to be in the shower by 9-15 am at the latest every day and shower before breakfast.
this will ensure that i am not snoozing till the latest time possible on working days and that i am maximising awake time on my days off.
i will be back in 10 days to let you all know how it went and what challenge i am setting out for the next 10 days from then.
till then, i wish you all peace and safety.
Mustafa
Wednesday 4 March 2009
New beginnings Part III; conclusion
Readers,
this is the final of my three part grand re-opening of this blog.
to quickly summise the first two parts before i start might be helpful:
i) welcome back - sorry for long intermission. site is being re-invented and posts will be forthcoming every 10 days.
ii) the posts wil be seeking to share my experience of how i have handled a new challenge to myself over the last 10 days and what my challenge will be for the next 10 days.
iii) The last 30 odd days.
This is an idea i have had for a long time but only tried to incorporate it a day or two before january finished.
my first challenge was to wake up for the morning prayer for 10 days. it is something i have been doing on/off for the best part of two years with unfortunately probably more off days than on. in the past when i have tried to incorporate this habit into my life, i had tried to incorporate too many habits alongside it at the same time so that when i failed in one habit - the knock on effect would be stopping a whole bunch of habits.
i had great success with this.
then 10 odd days into februrary, my second challenge was to prioritise the afternoon prayer over watching television and surfing the internet. both these are huge time sinks which eat countless hours. i was wise enough it would be unrealistic to try to cut down hours spent on internet when i have nothing better to do..but wasting time on the internet is not bad if it is not prioritised over stuff i know is more important.
alhamdulillah - i was successful with this also.
then 20 odd days into february my third challenge was to prioritise maghrib prayers over internet and telly.
i achieved this also and am begining to feel it is becoming habit and eventually i should be able to instinctively turn the telly or comp off when it is time to pray.
at the start of march - i opted for something different. my mother is getting older and not as strong and active as she was - (naturally) - and she always nags me to hoover (which is fair enough) - but i rarely do it bcause she asks me at the worse times.. like when im having breakfast.... and by the time i finished what im doing.. i have forgotten. i therefore asked her how many times a week she would like me to hoover to which she said two. i then askd what days and she said sundays and wednesdays.
therefore on sunday i hoovered the whole house.... and today... i hoovered only what she told me to... ie the passage... the initial plan was to hoover the whole house sundys and wednedays... but i have strayed from that.. which i have no problem with... like i said... its not hard and fast... if the whole house needs to be hoovered twice some weeks.... i would do it.. and if sometimes it only needs a hoover every 10 days... i wont hoover.. but the motivation is there... i wake up on sunays and wednesdys now thinkin 'hoover day'.
this challenge will end on the 11th of march.. so after i have hoovered next wednesday... i will be due to add a new challenge/habit.
once the time comes, i wil be back to share what it is, what challenges i envisage and how i plan to overcome them.
till then, i hope its been as much a pleasure reading as it has been sharing.
keep the peace
this is the final of my three part grand re-opening of this blog.
to quickly summise the first two parts before i start might be helpful:
i) welcome back - sorry for long intermission. site is being re-invented and posts will be forthcoming every 10 days.
ii) the posts wil be seeking to share my experience of how i have handled a new challenge to myself over the last 10 days and what my challenge will be for the next 10 days.
iii) The last 30 odd days.
This is an idea i have had for a long time but only tried to incorporate it a day or two before january finished.
my first challenge was to wake up for the morning prayer for 10 days. it is something i have been doing on/off for the best part of two years with unfortunately probably more off days than on. in the past when i have tried to incorporate this habit into my life, i had tried to incorporate too many habits alongside it at the same time so that when i failed in one habit - the knock on effect would be stopping a whole bunch of habits.
i had great success with this.
then 10 odd days into februrary, my second challenge was to prioritise the afternoon prayer over watching television and surfing the internet. both these are huge time sinks which eat countless hours. i was wise enough it would be unrealistic to try to cut down hours spent on internet when i have nothing better to do..but wasting time on the internet is not bad if it is not prioritised over stuff i know is more important.
alhamdulillah - i was successful with this also.
then 20 odd days into february my third challenge was to prioritise maghrib prayers over internet and telly.
i achieved this also and am begining to feel it is becoming habit and eventually i should be able to instinctively turn the telly or comp off when it is time to pray.
at the start of march - i opted for something different. my mother is getting older and not as strong and active as she was - (naturally) - and she always nags me to hoover (which is fair enough) - but i rarely do it bcause she asks me at the worse times.. like when im having breakfast.... and by the time i finished what im doing.. i have forgotten. i therefore asked her how many times a week she would like me to hoover to which she said two. i then askd what days and she said sundays and wednesdays.
therefore on sunday i hoovered the whole house.... and today... i hoovered only what she told me to... ie the passage... the initial plan was to hoover the whole house sundys and wednedays... but i have strayed from that.. which i have no problem with... like i said... its not hard and fast... if the whole house needs to be hoovered twice some weeks.... i would do it.. and if sometimes it only needs a hoover every 10 days... i wont hoover.. but the motivation is there... i wake up on sunays and wednesdys now thinkin 'hoover day'.
this challenge will end on the 11th of march.. so after i have hoovered next wednesday... i will be due to add a new challenge/habit.
once the time comes, i wil be back to share what it is, what challenges i envisage and how i plan to overcome them.
till then, i hope its been as much a pleasure reading as it has been sharing.
keep the peace
Tuesday 3 March 2009
New beginnings Part II: The brief
dear readers,
as promised, i am going to explain how this blog is going to be reinvented and why.
for a long time in my own life i have been unhappy with the amount of time i waste procrastinating. often even when im watching telly or reading, i prefer to look at repeat material rather than fresh stuff.
i have ideas in my head of what would help make me a far superior human being than i am at the moment but have always found it hard incorporating these things into my life. they range from spiritual, to hygeine, to physical, to leisure and even pleasure.
i have recently learnt that to incorporate a new habit you need to be doing it for 40 days. i have also heard that an experiment carried out on two frogs bore interesting results:
i) the first frog was placed inside boiling hot water and it jumped straight out.
ii) the second frog was placed in room temperature water and the temperature of the water was slowly increased till it became boiling hot.. and the frog eventually was killed but it made no attempt to escape as it kept adapting to the slight increase in temperature.
i feel if i try to incorporate all the habits i want in my life in one day... i will fail miserably like a fish out of water or a frog in boiling water... but if i try to make one small change at a time.... it is much more likely to stick.
i also find 40 days too long to wait to add something new especially when the new habit formed could be something as insignificant as putting the toilet seat back down when i have finished using it.
it is for this reason i have chosen ten day gaps between forming habits. this way it takes 40 days to form the first one - but thereafter... every 10 days another one gets registered.
obviously 40 days is not a hard and fast rule.... but in a way its a good thing its not. after all while habits are useful in that they are done 'automatically' - who wants to live completely in auto mode anyway?
so having explained the brief, where does this site come in?
every 10 days i will write how my last 10 days have gone in the sense of trying to bed in a new habit, what my new challenge is for the next 10 days, any challenges to the attempted new habit and how they might be overcome.
tomorrow is the last past of this 'three part re-intro' to this blog in which i will talk about the last 30 days odd and the next 10 after which i will post every 10 days starting from the middlish of march.
peace
as promised, i am going to explain how this blog is going to be reinvented and why.
for a long time in my own life i have been unhappy with the amount of time i waste procrastinating. often even when im watching telly or reading, i prefer to look at repeat material rather than fresh stuff.
i have ideas in my head of what would help make me a far superior human being than i am at the moment but have always found it hard incorporating these things into my life. they range from spiritual, to hygeine, to physical, to leisure and even pleasure.
i have recently learnt that to incorporate a new habit you need to be doing it for 40 days. i have also heard that an experiment carried out on two frogs bore interesting results:
i) the first frog was placed inside boiling hot water and it jumped straight out.
ii) the second frog was placed in room temperature water and the temperature of the water was slowly increased till it became boiling hot.. and the frog eventually was killed but it made no attempt to escape as it kept adapting to the slight increase in temperature.
i feel if i try to incorporate all the habits i want in my life in one day... i will fail miserably like a fish out of water or a frog in boiling water... but if i try to make one small change at a time.... it is much more likely to stick.
i also find 40 days too long to wait to add something new especially when the new habit formed could be something as insignificant as putting the toilet seat back down when i have finished using it.
it is for this reason i have chosen ten day gaps between forming habits. this way it takes 40 days to form the first one - but thereafter... every 10 days another one gets registered.
obviously 40 days is not a hard and fast rule.... but in a way its a good thing its not. after all while habits are useful in that they are done 'automatically' - who wants to live completely in auto mode anyway?
so having explained the brief, where does this site come in?
every 10 days i will write how my last 10 days have gone in the sense of trying to bed in a new habit, what my new challenge is for the next 10 days, any challenges to the attempted new habit and how they might be overcome.
tomorrow is the last past of this 'three part re-intro' to this blog in which i will talk about the last 30 days odd and the next 10 after which i will post every 10 days starting from the middlish of march.
peace
Monday 2 March 2009
New beginning Part I: introduction
Dear Reader/s
apologies for the long intermission between this post and my last post.
as many of you will have realised, this blog has taken a few turns since it started.
it began a dailly thing and then stopped.
then it re-started on and off with a completely different tone... it was no longer heart pumping, adrenaline kicking pep talks.. but rather random tid bits i felt like sharing.
having spoken to one of my loyal readers... i have decided to start this blog again.
i am not going to have unrealistic expectations.. and make false promises such as writing once a day.
i will write once every 10 days...
there will be a couple of exceptions to this:
i) i will write tomorrow explaining what will be talked about every 10 days.
ii) the day after tomorrow i will be talking about my last 30 days and how they fit in.
iii) the next post should be on the 11th or 12th of march.. (which will again be less than 10 days) - but thereafter - it will be once every 10 days and if you are lucky... maybe the odd bonus post ;)
so as of now you can scream it from your rooftops... or your balconies... or for those a litte more shy... just text all the contacts on your phone books... random positivity is retrurning from the dead and is going to be bigger and better than ever.
lastly - this is a reminder for myself... remember if no-one reads or comments... this blog can always be used as reference tool/ diary/ journal for my own benefit.
peace out
let the good times roll.
The editor
(ok just me! - Mustafa)
apologies for the long intermission between this post and my last post.
as many of you will have realised, this blog has taken a few turns since it started.
it began a dailly thing and then stopped.
then it re-started on and off with a completely different tone... it was no longer heart pumping, adrenaline kicking pep talks.. but rather random tid bits i felt like sharing.
having spoken to one of my loyal readers... i have decided to start this blog again.
i am not going to have unrealistic expectations.. and make false promises such as writing once a day.
i will write once every 10 days...
there will be a couple of exceptions to this:
i) i will write tomorrow explaining what will be talked about every 10 days.
ii) the day after tomorrow i will be talking about my last 30 days and how they fit in.
iii) the next post should be on the 11th or 12th of march.. (which will again be less than 10 days) - but thereafter - it will be once every 10 days and if you are lucky... maybe the odd bonus post ;)
so as of now you can scream it from your rooftops... or your balconies... or for those a litte more shy... just text all the contacts on your phone books... random positivity is retrurning from the dead and is going to be bigger and better than ever.
lastly - this is a reminder for myself... remember if no-one reads or comments... this blog can always be used as reference tool/ diary/ journal for my own benefit.
peace out
let the good times roll.
The editor
(ok just me! - Mustafa)
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