This article by Steve Pavlina explains how to effectively manage your life by focusing on tasks based on their long-term effects.
The article defines three categories of tasks, and allocates your daily time to each of them proportionally based on their expected benefit.
- “A” tasks yield benefit in five or more years, such as learning a new language.
- “B” tasks yield benefit in two or more years, such as training for a marathon.
- “C” tasks yield benefit in 90 days or less. This includes day-to-day tasks, like checking email.
He supports a 50-30-20 method of time-sharing: allocate 50% of your time for A tasks, 30% of your time to B tasks, and 20% of your time to C tasks.
As Muslims, we know the hadith of the Prophet, (صلي الله عليه وسلم): “There are two things humans are decieved by: their health, and their time.”1 In addition, we focus long-long-long-term, on the Akhira (afterlife). How do you categorize tasks like praying salaah?
I suggest a fourth category of “D” Tasks: tasks that bear fruit in the Akhira mainly, and in the dunya (world) marginally. D tasks are usually fard (obligatory: you get rewarded if you perform them, and punished if you abstain from them) and mustahab (you get rewarded if you do them, but no punishment if you abstain from them). Therefore, D tasks should be first-priority, over A tasks.
Wallahu ‘alim. I find this form of time management helps you complete those mundane tasks on your to-do list that idle for days and weeks.
(1) Sahih Bukhari. MSA-USC Hadith Database. 1 Jan. 2006 <http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/076.sbt.html#008.076.421>.
