LPT: Treat Your First Thought as a Suggestion - Salam and a Small Pause Helps

Assalamu alaikum - a small tip that’s helped me: when you want to be more productive and make clearer choices, don’t take your first thought as a rule. A lot of unhelpful habits - procrastinating, overreacting, spiraling, talking yourself out of good plans - often begin with one automatic thought that feels true just because it popped up first. But that initial thought isn’t a decision. It’s not a proven fact. It’s just your mind repeating old patterns. When you treat that first thought like a suggestion, you open a tiny gap where you can intentionally choose what to do next - and that small pause makes a big difference. Examples: • “I don’t feel like doing this” → a suggestion, not an absolute • “This will be too hard” → a thought, not a destiny • “I’ll start later” → a suggestion you don’t have to follow • “They’ll judge me” → a guess, not evidence That little shift - noticing instead of automatically obeying - is one of the simplest ways to stay productive, especially on days when motivation is low. If you want to read more about these kinds of automatic thoughts, a practical book I found useful explains how to spot and outsmart them. I recommend it if you’re trying to build clarity, self-discipline, and consistency. When you stop treating every passing thought like a command, life feels lighter and you can choose actions that align with your goals and values. Wa alaykum as-salam.