A Guide to Being Purposeful

Making the most of your time and being accountable when no one's looking.

Sometimes you just have to realise that the simplest things can go a long way.

Hey friends, It’s Saud. Welcome back to Touching Base.

This is a little passion project of mine where I like to share the tangible things in life. It may be that you’ve had a lot of work this week, and you’re searching for something small to digest in your downtime.

It’s been well over a week since Ramadan started, and it’s really allowed me to truly reflect on my life in a unique way - more importantly how I decide to use my time.

We all have 24 hours in a day, but since each of us live completely different lives, we also tend to spend those hours quite separate from one another. One task might take minutes for one person, but it might take the whole day for another person.
That’s okay though because it still remains as equally valuable for the individual. What matters the most is how you appreciate your time.

Is what you do time well spent, or is it whisking away life’s most finite resource?

---

Media(m) for change

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the next step that I’m going to take. As someone graduating in a couple of months, the idea of going into the workplace genuinely frightens me. No more education system, no more fixed termly timetable, and no one to tell you off (for the most part) for not doing your tasks. The sense of accountability will eventually fall onto the self, and it’s up to you to decide whether you want to own those responsibilities.

This reminded me of last summer when I was visiting my brother for a weekend. He was an avid vocalist for the TV show ‘The Bear’ especially because Season 2 just aired, but I didn’t think much of it at the time.

Eventually I gave it a chance, and I’m glad I did. It’s by far one of the best pieces of media I’ve seen in the last few years.

There’s many things that you can take away from the show, that’s for another day, but I’ll leave you with just this one.

Every Second Counts. 🕒

It’s a simple mantra plastered throughout the season, but significantly features on one of the work kitchen walls featured in the episode ‘Forks.’ In this episode, one of the main characters, Richie, has to intern at a fancy restaurant to prepare for the opening of their own restaurant in the season finale.
Throughout the episode, we see Richie being put through the paces, and learning to constantly adapt in a highly intensive environment. There’s a large emphasis on forks in this episode, as he’s stationed to dry them at the establishment for extensive periods.

This follows through with the episode’s mantra, as the simple act of cleaning forks may seem useless on a surface level, yet the required discipline and attention to detail to make them spotless makes us, the viewer, realise something greater.

It’s all about perspective on your time.

Think about your day-to-day activities, the show’s not asking you to ‘make every second count’ but rather demonstrate that ‘every second counts.’ It’s not about every breathing moment imparting value in your life, but rather coming to terms that time is a limited resource. You could always be doing something better or worse with your time, but it’s about finding solace in its passing. Time isn’t commanding you to act on your duties and goals, it’s telling you to internalise that your perspective matters. Each second is an opportunity, and it’s never too late to start.

As someone’s who’s nearing a crossroads in their lives, this episode taught me an invaluable lesson in trajectories, reflecting on my habits that consume my time, and what paths I can take to carry myself into the next chapter.

---

The Whispering Tree.

There’s not much for me to say this week, I’ve just tried to make the most of my final spring break as an undergraduate. Luckily enough, It’s coincided with the month of Ramadan, which makes balancing work and life just a little easier. Where most people travel home during the holidays, I have become somewhat okay with not going home this time around.

Child’s play. 🧸

Most days have the community at the prayer hall packed - with many new and familiar faces. What I’ve grown to enjoy a lot more is the company of children playing around us. It makes me feel more at home and bears life into our communal spaces.

Sometimes, I find myself spending almost whole hours at night playing with them, where I initially told myself I’d be in the library working. These are one of those moments I was talking about earlier where you get to implement your own perspective on how you find solace in the passing of time.

Yes, I could be working on my assignment.
Yes, there is something I could be doing instead to progress towards my goals.
However, we can all learn a thing or two from children - their carefree, inquisitive and creative minds. It’s all about perspective once again.

If you really pay attention to them during their playtimes, you realise those moments are precious to them.

One of the kids were showing me how to create a paper plane, and they saw it as a challenge to throw it as far as possible. I thought it could be a valuable lesson for them to learn about how different-shaped planes and throwing methods can change its speed and flight times, so I spent the next 20 minutes watching them problem solve why their plane kept nosediving instantly.

So, what’s the whispering tree trying to tell us?

For children, playing is their time to learn, to create, and to ponder.

It made me think, why can’t we have our own version of child’s play?
We should all seek out something that we can benefit from in the same way children value their playing time, one that allows our minds to flourish without accountability or a type of pressure from others.

Find those comfort activities that you can internalise your ideas and thoughts with.
Play around without thinking about the risks in reality.

---

Yutori Corner. 🌄

Listening to nature somewhere near campus, post-fajr.

Touch grass, seriously. 🍃

We all have something we could be working on right now, but it’s also important to have some downtime. Not the kind of downtime where you start doomscrolling 5-second clips on your socials, but the kind where you can hear yourself and your thoughts.

This Ramadan has been truly special for me, as it’s the first time I’m spending the whole month away from home. I’ve found solace in this isolation, as I’ve had the time to reflect on myself and my religion in a new light.

As someone who’s grown up with Islam, I felt like I was only praying and learning about it because it’s been culturally and socially embedded in my life. Since moving to university, I’ve had the chance to relearn Islam for myself.

Taking a walk around nature is one of those things that help me reconnect with my religion. By taking in my surroundings and experiences, and just listening, I started to value and ponder the Qur’an, applying its stories and verses to my own life - where I can value the time I’ve been given.
An absolute game changer. Alhamdulillah.

Try it sometime :)

---