🌈 1434 – Wednesday, 2 September 2026, 23:50
London
Just sitting down and not distracted, finally.
Windy outside. The window is making that creaking noise, the water in the large clear glass on my table is shaking slightly as I type, and the glass is sitting right on the edge of the table on a stone coaster. A loud, noisy flight just passed by, and there is still that constant shhhhhhh noise of the wind.
The weather outside is very cloudy and looks like it’s going to rain at any moment. It feels like sort of a dramatic moment.
Just got into bed with my laptop on my lap. Got to wake up early tomorrow. What is it that I would like to remember about today?
Woke up and was thankful in the morning. Read Surah Fatiha and a couple of ayahs in bed, then did affirmations, then said “Allahumma Ameen” to Dad’s prayer message.
My mate gave me an update on the weather, so said good morning to him. Then showered, ironed a pair of cream trousers and a cream checked shirt, with matching socks and shoes.
Was getting ready when Mother phoned. It was around 09:10. Told her I’m going into the office but was debating whether I should go or not. She said, “Since you’re getting ready, just go… and come.”
Spoke briefly and continued getting ready. Bid farewell.
Had 2 big glasses of water for breakfast, then biked from home to work, from Queens Square to St James’s Park. The weather was very pleasant in the morning.
Don’t usually go into work on Wednesdays, so there was a different team sitting there and was happy to see. Almost all of them said hello, and then goodbye when they left.
I did sooooo much work today. Such a, so, so, so productive day.
Broke for lunch at 12:50. Had a big, fresh salad with tuna and chicken by the riverside. It was a bit cloudy and windy during the day, so sat inside and had lunch. Was feeling good.
The rest of the afternoon went similarly 0 – just as productive as the morning.
Finished work at 17:30. Biked back home, took the new route via Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square.
Got home around 18:15 and took a 20-minute nap with some meditation. Woke up around 19:20 or so, made a cup of hot coffee and left home. Walked up to the gym in High Holborn and had a really, really, really, really, really good workout.
Did back exercises. Did 4 sets of 11 reps of pull-ups, then EZ-bar lat pulldowns, then T-bar rows, straight-bar rows on the machine and dumbbell curls.
Had a shower there and left the gym at 21:15.
Started walking home and took a new road on the left that I wanted to try. On the way, went into Sainsbury’s to get bananas and yoghurt, then walked back home.
Unlocked the front door, sat at the long conference table in the front room and read 3 Rukus of Qur’an Shareef.
Got back up to the kitchen and heated some food from the fridge – a mixed meat box and rice. While it was heating, offered Isha Salah: 4 rak’ahs Farz, 2 rak’ahs Salat al-Hajah and 3 rak’ahs Witr.
The food was ready by then. Got the food from the kitchen, sat in front of the telly, started watching an American Experiment documentary on Netflix and ate.
My dearest Bhayya, brother, texted saying that he’s been to his new flat in Riyadh, and that he went there to leave the Qur’an at home.
And then randomly said to me:
“Read some Qur’an.”
Said, “I just did, 3 Rukus.”
He said, “Pray Witr.”
And said, “I just did that also, and I’m having dinner now.”
Was like, aw.
He never says or asks me to do anything, so it was really nice of him, to be honest.
But now just rereading his texts again, because when he said it at the time, wasn’t properly reading what he meant. He did say “read Qur’an”, but he was actually saying that he had read a bit of Qur’an at his new place. He had gone there to drop the book off first before he moves any furniture in.
Anyway, that’s about my day.
And this is what I would like to remember tomorrow if opening this freaking day of my existence on the planet again.
If only every day was as productive as my workday today.
All the work that needs to be finished, all the work that keeps sitting there thinking it should be finished – it would actually be finished.
3 things that I feel grateful for today
Grateful that finally changed the seating location from the desk to the bed and wrote this page there. Was just wasting time at the desk.
Grateful that today went smoothly.
Grateful that felt so refreshed after the nap this evening and was able to go and have such a good workout.
What would it take for me – and for you – to wake up 10 x times bigger, thicker, more muscular, leaner, wake up early, make it to the workout, have a good, quick workout, have everything be okay with family, friends and everyone around, and then have a relaxing, relaxing, relaxing yet productive day tomorrow?
Sign up to the monthly letter below.
Goodnight, good luck!
Ash Khaleem