The abridgment of skills of planning
Monday, 18 January 2016، 09:15 AM
Leaping1
Wisdom# 463; Nahjol Balaqe
There is a difference between someone whose life plan is only consisted of typical routines and one who assigns himself an aim based on which prioritize and perform his programs. These two approaches differentiate the human plan and consequently change his life’s foundation.
In The Name of One Who Causes
The Grain and the Fruit-stone to Split and Sprout
Imam Ali (Salute to Him):
“O, Allah! Make my inner self to be involved with praising and worshiping You in the world…”
Human has been approaching the deadline of his life through passing the moments step by step. Achieving his major and minor aims has been donein these moments and his eternal life is written through this passage. Therefore, it is necessary to manage his life bit by bit by making hard effortsalong with using his wisdom and thought. In order to use his precious lifetime properly, he should pay attention to various issues avoiding his ignoranceand forgetfulness. Some of these issues are as follows:
1. The role of religion in arranging a plan
Human has a self-determination and power of choice. This makes him either pursue his prosperity or deviate from the prosperity path and reach wretchedness. The prosperity path is a definite way with an obvious beginning and end. Its constituent elements are clearly defined by the Divine messengers.Each and every mankind, with any belief, has a faith based on which having a plan leading him to either prosperity or misery. Hence, the nature of belief and faith is to have a plan. That’s why, a religion includes a collection of programs by which human will be obliged. It is important to know how understanding a religion could help him in arranging a plan for his life.
Imam Mohammad Baqer (Salute to Him) narrates from his father quoting Imam Ali (Salute to Him) as: “A man does not discover the truth of faith otherwise he has three features: understanding religion, being patient in calamities, and having a proper planning in his life.” p.85, vol.68; Bahar Al Anvar
Alike the purpose of religion, what is attempted to access in planning and a program is to attain a goal. Each individual should at first be aware ofthis path, then, based on it, move step by step in accordance with his own general final purpose in his life. In this process, he is obliged to think ofhis true needs, destiny and the end of his own life as well as its stages. So this “planning” means to design a map on the basis of what is existing atthe present time besides what he considers for himself to reach in future.
The correlation of religion and arranging a plan
Planning means ((arrangement of life activities regarding a specified intention and determine to do it in the appointed time)). Noticing the limitationcaused by the materialistic world’s circumstance, each planning naturally has a structure in which the type of task, time and objective should be clearlydefined. The mentioned definition of planning reflects the meaning of religion, as well, since religion means respectfully following and obeying the specifiedprogram and regulations. This definition illustrates the closeness of planning and religion meaning so obviously. Anyhow it is remarkable to consider that the realm of religion is much broader and vaster; lasting to the Hereafter. Because the realm of divine religion is to respectfully follow and obey particularprograms define a divine guardian in order to guide human to final stage of his creation; that is, to worship the Creator-Nurturer for reaching salvationand prosperity.
‘But the messenger and those who believe with him strove hard with their belongings and their persons. The best things belong to them;it is they who will prosper.’ Verse 88; Al- Tawba (Repentance)
‘The faithful have succeeded.’ Verse 1; Al- Muminun (The Believers)
It is noteworthy to heed that there are some principles having particular value in planning such as: The recognition of the true requirements, aim and the real destiny; the ways to reinforce one’s will and intention in doing good; making benefits from creative methods for putting into practice a program; having effective evaluation criteria; etc. We will know more about these principles in the following chapters.
Our Viewpoint of planning
Everybody acts according to his own views from life and the system of governing rules and set certain programs and plan for himself on that regard. There is a difference between a person whose life is arranged merely on the worldly enjoyment and a person who intends to spend each moment of his life in finding what is better and more virtuous.
Imam Ali (PBUH): ‘ The world is created to reach the Hereafter, nor to itself.’
Wisdom# 463; Nahjol Balaqe
There is a difference between someone whose life plan is only consisted of typical routines and one who assigns himself an aim based on which prioritize and perform his programs. These two approaches differentiate the human plan and consequently change his life’s foundation.
A uni-dimensional plan
Owning to the fact that each individual’s planning is based on his own needs; each plan demonstrates a need in him. Human has various needs, andof course, with various priorities which must be fulfilled with consideration of the true destiny. Now if a plan is restricted to only one or a group of requirements and to ignore more important ones with higher priorities, this kind of planning _ even if it is a full-time daily program_ is uni-dimensional; i.e., unilateral program.
Note1: One of the most essential subjects in planning is to realize various aspects of needs and ways to fulfill them; on the contrary to some approaches, planning is not merely regulating one’s activities; yet, it includes strategies to access the best ways for satisfying the real need.
Note2: Human being requires a program and arranging a plan not only to meet his needs, but to achieve his goals in life. Hence, paying attentionto needs and goals has a reciprocal effect one on another and also both of them have impact on planning. Consequently, if someone_ referring tohis aims_ takes a variety of goals, destinies or essentials into account, he could release his plan from uni-dimensional way.
Therefore, firstly, a variety of programs are arranged due to several distinctive needs. Secondly, noticing to the true destinies makes it possible to set these requirements in addition to developing a plan multi-dimensionally.
‘You who believe, shall I show you a bargain that will save you from painful torment? Have faith in God and His Messenger and struggle for Hiscause with your possessions and your persons_ that is better for you, if only you knew_ and He will forgive your sins, admit you into the Gardensof Eternity. That is the supreme triumph. And He will give you other things that will please you: His help and imminent breakthrough. (Prophet),give the faithful the good news.
Verses 10-13, Al-Saff (The Solid Lines)
Note3: Regarding needs and, consequently, goals, people will have distinctive aspects both individually and socially. So, in order to plan one’sindividual’s life and get acquaint with its different elements, it is necessary to be aware of human’s traits by studying the universe, human, etc. ;to know human’s features, attributes, moods and alike. Besides, an individual can refer to himself for finding those characteristics. Providing thathe realizes those characteristics in himself, he is able to improve or develop them by some practices and eventually make an appropriate plan.
‘They only know the outer surface of this present life and are heedless of the life to come. Have they not thought about their own selves?God did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them without a serious purpose and an appointed time; yet, many peopledeny that they will meet their God. Have they not traveled through the land and seen how their predecessors met their end? They were mightier than them: they cultivated the earth more and built more upon it. Their own messengers also came to them with clear signs: God did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.’
Verses 7-9, Al- Rum (The Byzantines)
1_1.Developing efficiency (Drill) According to the above mentioned points, review and study your daily, weekly or yearly programs as:
· Whether your program is unilateral or multilateral one? · In your opinion, how do people entrap with unilateral programs?
