Ramadan Prep

Salam!

It just dawned on me that Ramadan is only a few weeks away! Isn't it crazy how fast time goes by? It's like, one day you wake up and it's fasting time and next thing you know, it's all over. 

It got me thinking -- how can I go through the month smoothly without missing out on any of the objectives I've set up for myself? Answer: with preparation. They also say practice makes perfect, so I decided to make Shabaan my Ramadan prep month. Here's how.

1. Reflect on last Ramadan. Now is the best time to stop and ponder on last year's fasting. That way, you can either tick off met objectives from your list and move on to others, or work on those which weren't achieved in 2012.

2. Document yourself. I always find it useful to go back to the meaning of the sacred month and how to reap its fruits. No matter the idea I have of Ramadan or how many years I've been fasting -- Bani Adam are forgetful, careless creatures -- reminders always beneficial :) I found this and this helpful.

3.  Using all your research, you'll be able to come up with a 2013 Ramadan Plan, mentioning bad traits you want to get rid of, qualities you'd like to acquire, all that good stuff.

4. Get in a Ramadan State of Mind. See how you can make your computer change modes? The same applies to the mind: set it on "Ramadan mode". Block negative ideas, refuse to obey your nafs, show better chararcter. To me, the earlier you prepare yourself mentally, the smoother the adjusting will be.
 
5. Reduce eating to ease the transition into Ramadan. You can try and lessen the quantity of heavily consumed foods to prevent headaches, mood swings... For instance, some people like to drink less coffee or tea than usual during that time. What better time to cure unhealthy snacks cravings? ;)

6. Fast a few days. In my opinion, it's one of the best way to get ready, it involves all the points previously mentioned. It can serve as a real test for the special month while allowing you to get the baraka of fasting, killing two birds with one stone :)

Here are my tips to get the mind and body ready for Ramadan. Let me know what your tips are!





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