Hayat TayyibaWellness Revival · Week 1: Preparation

Lesson 3 of 5

Obstacles & Goals

In Allah’s wisdom, He placed obstacles in life, and for the believer, they only increase and purify. Anticipating them before they arise makes the journey far easier.

Know what you’re facing

What is an obstacle?

Obstacles are the challenges and barriers we meet on the way to our goals. Overcoming inertia takes focused intention, renewed again and again. Here are the most common kinds:

Physical

Tangible barriers such as limited resources, distance or physical limitations.

Psychological

Fear, self-doubt, limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns.

Social

Peer pressure, criticism or a lack of support from family and friends.

Financial

Limited money, debt or economic pressure.

Environmental

Outside factors like your surroundings, circumstances or instability.

Time

Competing priorities, deadlines and responsibilities.

Skill or knowledge gaps

Not yet knowing how. Solved by learning, mentorship and practice.

Recognizing which obstacles you face and planning for them lets you keep moving forward with resilience and creativity.

The biggest obstacle of all is believing we can’t really improve our health, or that it was decided by our genes before we were born. Don’t let that belief, or old habits, hold you back.

Journaling exercise

Journal your obstacles

Write down your obstacles and brainstorm ways around them, even if it means changing how you see the obstacle in the first place. Lean on the community for ideas.

What are your goals?

Define what health and happiness mean to you

These questions are a starting point. Write whatever comes to you.

My health goals

  1. Physical: What health problems do I want to heal from, and how will I get there?
  2. Food: What is my relationship with food, and how do I want to nourish myself?
  3. Exercise: What is my relationship with my body and exercise? How will I change it?
  4. Sleep: Do I prioritize quality sleep? What will I do to rest and recharge every day?
  5. Weight: How do I feel about my weight? What will I change so I care for my body instead of fighting it?

My psychological & social goals

  1. Emotional health: What thoughts and beliefs keep me stuck? Could physical factors like food, stress or deficiencies be affecting how I feel? What will I do about it?
  2. Relationships: What healing do my relationships need? How can I be a better child, spouse, parent, friend or coworker?
  3. Work: How do I want to spend my time, energy and talents? If I’m not happy, what can I change?

Meaning & purpose

  1. Spiritual goals: What matters most to me? What would I like my legacy to be, and what must I do to live up to it?
  2. Starting now: What are the “someday I hope to…” thoughts that I can make happen now?