T. Mahmud
“You sent £100.00 GBP to N****** Khan”, read the email I’ve received from PayPal. I was an international student who was enrolled in a postgraduate program in London when this event took place. After coming across a personal development course with many positive reviews, I wanted to give it a try. I was keen on improving both myself and my life, so I got in touch with the woman who ran that course. Despite my reluctance towards paying £100.00 for it, I proceeded anyway. I was freaking out, because I thought £100.00 was a huge investment during that time and I had never invested that amount of money for a course which wasn’t affiliated with a university.
This course lasted for one month. During the first week, I was instructed to make timetables for myself, as well as listen to a lecture per day. The topics which I learned more about included physical wellbeing, neuroscience, the power of thoughts, and emotional health. These timetables were very rigid, and I had to make sure that I completed all of my tasks by those specific time slots. Before I went to bed every night, I would send a picture of my timetable to my mentor so that there was evidence of my progress. I struggled initially, but I eventually improved with managing my time.
The second week was a little bit different. Even though I had to continue making more timetables, they were more flexible than the ones I had made during the first week. I was instructed to complete tasks within two-period slots. An example would be preparing and having breakfast, washing dishes, and journaling within the 9-11 AM time slot. I was also required to listen to a new lecture everyday. The topics that I’ve learned more about included accountability, conditioning, self-acceptance, and procrastination. I found that I generally performed better with using these timetables compared to the previous ones.
The remaining two weeks consisted of making weekly habit-trackers for myself. I basically listed down the activities that I usually engage in on a table, decided how many times I would do them before a week finishes, and add ✓’s or ’s next to them for seven days. I found that I generally did better on the fourth week, as I was able to meet many of my goals. Even though I didn’t make more timetables, I feel as though these habit-trackers were a great way to help me manage my time for engaging in various activities.
After I finished that course, I decided to continue making habit-trackers for myself because I really enjoyed that experience. That wasn’t the end of my personal development journey, though. I feel as though that was the beginning. I started to sign up for more online courses which conformed to my interests (ex. Psychology, health, etc.). I found more mentors whom I learned from, and I even bought more books to expand my knowledge. Not long after, I decided to do something which I never imagined myself doing. I became a businesswoman.
I introduced myself to the world as T. Mahmud, who was an aspiring self-help entrepreneur. I began launching various products which were related to mental health and personal development (ex. A mental health card game, a stress management logbook, a growth mindset journal, etc.). Some of them were even featured in bookstores in Dhaka, and I was very pleased with this accomplishment. I later launched my own podcast show on YouTube called, “Conversations with T.”. Despite my strong dislike for public-speaking, I currently use this platform to discuss important issues (ex. Productivity, motivation, entrepreneurship, etc.) with people from different parts of the world. I’ve had guests who came from Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Greek, Caribbean, Algerian, and Nigerian, Yemeni, and Jamaican backgrounds.
I have more goals that I want to accomplish in the future, as well as continuing to do things which I’m passionate about. Despite the setbacks that I have encountered during my journey, I’m willing to move ahead and do the necessary.
