What's inside:

• 🔎 My Focus for 2022 - Consistency.
• 🩺Med-Diaries: #10
• ✏️Insights - This week's podcasts, movies, books and other cool things

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Consistency

Every year I pick a new word and make that the centre of my focus for the year. My 2021 word was Growth, which turned out to be very fitting in so many ways Alhamdulillah (praise and thanks to god).

In 2022, my word is Consistency.

It's around this time of year I start to think about what I've achieved in the past 12 months and what I would like to accomplish in the coming 12 months, but I'm turning away from traditional goal-setting (see this post for more detail). In 2022 I don't want to bench 100kg or come top of the year or reach 500 subscribers. I just want to be consistent in the habits that will make me successful.

💪🏾 For my health I want to regularly exercise and stick to a workout plan. If I can keep that up consistently for 12 months I'm sure there will be added benefits.

🤓 In education, I want to be a student who works hard from day 1. I just want to wake up and put in work every day. If I can keep that up my grades will take care of themselves.

🕋 As a Muslim I want to keep steadfast in my prayers and exude goodness wherever I go.

🖌️ Content creation is something I have always set aside for other life priorities, but this year I want to be consistent with it all. No weeks off. No delayed posts. Just consistency.

It's so simple, yet so challenging to stay consistent with any habit. Consistency is really all you need to achieve anything in life. Do something regularly and for long enough and you will become an expert in that thing. Every big accomplishment - a degree, a six-pack, a successful business or a large following is a result of doing consistent work.

Here are a few tips that can help get you started, but more importantly KEEP you consistent:

1 - Set the bar low.

I'd love to work out 6 times a week, but I set the bar at 3-4 times a week. This does 2 things. It makes it easy to 'complete' the goal of hitting 3-4 workouts in a week (since I'm actually aiming for 6). Also, in the weeks where I don't reach 6, I don't feel inadequate. If I exercise 5 times a week I can still comfortably say I exceeded my expectation of 3-4 times. That's more likely to keep me going.

2 - Track Progress.

Snapchat users will know this well. When you have a long streak with someone, the feeling of losing all that progress and having to start from scratch makes you keep it up. If you track your habits, there will come a time where you can't be bothered. It's at those times that seeing your progress and streak so far will push you to continue.

3 - Accountability.

I work out with a friend at uni, but I'm home for 2 months now so we agreed to snap each other every time we work out so we keep up the accountability. Now I'm adamant to go exercise because he's waiting for my snaps 🤣 Some things I do alone, like blogging. For that, I might post a story saying 'New Post today 6pm' before I've even written it. The announcement keeps me accountable to actually do the work.

4 - Reduce Friction.

I want to journal every day, so I've left my journal and pen on my bed. That takes out the step of having to get my journal, find a pen and time to write. Now when I go to bed I just see my journal and write a quick entry. I've also set the bar low and allowed myself to write as few as 3 words per day. There's no way I can't keep that up.

5 - Find Enjoyment.

There is enjoyment in everything. I'm writing my blog with the fireplace on, 5 candles beside me, my coffee to the side and a soft pillow behind me with Lo-Fi beats in the background. VIBES. I do this when I study too, you can alter the environment and make the most mundane tasks seem exciting with a little creativity. It goes a long way for difficult habits.

I hope this helps you in building and maintaining your new habits for 2022.

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🩺 Med-Diaries #10

I'm on my Christmas break but I'm not really taking much of a break from the work. I'm keeping up my exam routine and habits through the holidays so I'm in a good routine for term 2. Call me crazy but I enjoy living like this 😆

I'm going to go through all of term 1 content over the break and keep up my flashcards until April. With my exam being postponed by 4 months I have an opportunity to build long term memory and REALLY blow the exam out of the park, so that's the plan insha'Allah.

I was living dangerously in term 1, out every weekend with my friends (no regrets lmao) but being behind on work did not feel good, I was far from my normal self. Term 2 I think I'm going to do the polar opposite, stay on top of work and exercise before I worry about socialising. Staying at home for a month or 2 should do me good in that regard.

What are you enjoying right now?

Family time. With age, you realise how much you take family time for granted. I'm only ever a visitor at home now and it saddens me that in a couple of years I'll move away to start my life as a doctor. Nothing compares to the comfort and enjoyment of my families company. The main reason I like waking up at 6am and working in the early hours is so I'm free in the evening to spend time with them.

What are you looking forward to?

I can't wait to see where life takes me in the next year. Clearly, we are terrible predictors of the future, so I'm just going to let go of expectations and predictions and let it be. More details in my journal lol.

What is your biggest worry?

Focusing my energy on the wrong people or places. I'm being relentless and selective with who and what I spend my time and energy with these days. I've wasted too much on unworthy situations and I do not want to do that again.

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✏️Insights

🎙️ Podcast - The Tim Ferris Show: ​LeBron James and His Top-Secret Trainer, Mike Mancias​

I've been taking care of my health very well lately, sleeping 7-8 hours a day, exercising, stretching, recovery etc. This episode gives you an insight into LeBron James' recovery and training routine which has so many useful takeaways, even if you're not an athlete.

📚 Book: Looking for a new one.

I think I'm going to start 5 new books at once so I don't get bored. The lack of variety is killing my reading habit lately. Next week I'll update you on those.

🎥 Movie/TV Show: Bollywood Movies.

Finally, I have the time for 3-hour movies so I'm going to go and watch all the classics before I'm exposed as a fraud 💀

🤔 Thoughts: Air pollution.

Having lived in Aberdeen for a year I've noticed how much of a difference there is from pollution in cities. I literally CANNOT SEE THE SKY at home and I don't even live in a built-up area. It feels so wrong not being able to see rays of the sun as clearly as I could in Scotland. I miss the beach and the sunrises already and it's day #1. I still love big cities but I think it's so important to be around nature too so now I'm kinda put off London.