Do you find yourself feeling tired during Ramadan or even falling asleep in the middle of the day, just because you’re fasting, and your sleeping patterns are all messed up? Worse still, have you been seriously considering not fasting because you can’t hack the working day?

It's funny how our day-to-day plans go haywire once Ramadan starts. Many of us find we can't do much during the day because we're hungry or have spent the previous night in the shopping malls or with friends for one of those "Ramadan nights". So we promise ourselves that we'll work in the evening. 

Evening comes, and we overdo it at iftar (the meal at the end of the fast) so we can't move for at least two hours, and thanks to our "well-targeted" media, our two-hour lay in is encouraged with the 20 must-see Ramadan series on TV. Before we know it, we’ve got to rush to the mosque, and after an hour or so of some spiritual nourishment (or so we hope), some of us want to go shopping for next day's iftar (or for Eid). Then comes suhoor (meal before starting the fast) and before you know it it’s the middle of the night and we need to get some sleep so we can get up for fajr (morning prayer).

And so in between, no work is accomplished and the cycle continues until the end of the month.

Sound familiar?

Brothers and sisters, it's time for change. We've wasted enough Ramadans and it must stop. With only a few days to this Ramadan, let us draw a schedule that will maintain our productivity and keep us up to speed with our day-to-day work. Here are some suggestions:

• Firstly, do all your Ramadan and Eid shopping before Ramadan starts. That's right. Don't do it during Ramadan, do it before Ramadan.
• Plan your iftars well in advance. Know what you'll cook on each day and follow a healthy diet plan.
• Follow the Sunnah (tradition of the Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, and have suhoor before fajr, not at midnight. This will help you maintain your productivity levels throughout your working day, instead of your body craving for food by mid-afternoon.  
• Start working after fajr. The Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him made dua that Allah would bless this Ummah in the early hours. So grasp these early hours, especially since you'll be energized with suhoor. (Perhaps your boss will be impressed to see you achieve so much before the day has started that s/he might offer you the opportunity to go home early when you're hungry and feel less productive in the later part of the day!)
• Don't waste those two hours between iftar and taraweeh in front of the TV. Use them for quiet reading, e-mailing, or any productive activity.
• Plan your day the night before, so that you do at least three important tasks the next day. When you set yourself such goals, you'll be geared towards maintaining them regardless of how hungry you are.  
• At times when you feel particularly hungry or worn out, do mundane tasks that don't require much thinking, e.g. administrative tasks, cleaning, typing up information etc.  

Finally, the most important time management advice for Ramadan is to make sure you schedule in time with Allah, glory be to Him in the Highest.

Remember, this is Ramadan. In the midst of our day-to-day activities, we sometimes forget the immense virtue and benefit of this holy month. Don't waste Ramadan on worldly activities unless they are crucial. I know a brother who saves his holidays so that he gets all of Ramadan off so he can spend it in the mosque praying, reading Quran, and remembering Allah.

Don't be left at the end of Ramadan with the regret that you haven't achieved much spiritual benefit after all.

For more tips on improving your productivity this Ramadan, visit ProductiveRamadan.com and our sister site ProductiveMuslim.com.