We were lucky to catch up with Noor Rahman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Noor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I can never be grateful enough for the kind of parents Allaah (God) has blessed me with.

As a parenting educator, I see the importance of a parent’s personality and behaviour toward their children, yet I’m always amazed by the same.

My mum is a strong lady who stands up for what she believes in. She’s very patient and calm and she’s been my friend and extra support whenever I needed her.

And, amongst the people I know, my dad is the perfect example of integrity and hard work. (All his employers struck gold when they employed him. LOL) During my awkward teenage years, he helped me with my schoolwork without giving up on me, drove hours and hours to take me to the library every alternate week, and always supported me in whatever I wanted to study or do (and he still does).

It’s not what my parents taught me that “taught” me, but it is who they are that has made me whom I am today. And the values I’ve absorbed and internalised unknowingly and automatically from them have helped me navigate my toughest days in ways I could not have imagined before.

I still remember. When I was in high school struggling to understand certain mathematical concepts, my dad came to my rescue. He spent weeks teaching me, until I understood and was able to carry on by myself. Would I be exaggerating if I said he changed my life? Nope.

What he taught me during those days wasn’t just maths. He taught me how I can learn and flourish at anything if I organized my thoughts, worked hard and never gave up.

Despite their imperfections, my parents often make me wonder whether I am doing the parenting job as well as they do.

(Mummy, Daddy, if you’re reading this, you’re probably super happy and you realllyyy want to treat me to some chocolate cake, right?)

Noor, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Noor Rahman. I’m a student, work-from-home mum of 3 lovelies, faith-based parenting educator, author and former teacher.

I help busy mothers who feel stuck, overwhelmed and lost because they have a million things to do and accomplish whilst they dream of living a calm, effective and happy life.

I’ve been there too and I’ve come a long way. I now believe that it’s not about getting more done; it’s about prioritising and doing what really matters. You can call me a ‘to-do list minimalist’.

Effectivity doesn’t have to be intimidating or reserved for the ‘productive elite’. There are ways to get your life in order and live a life of fulfilment. I’m here to help busy mothers towards this lofty goal by teaching them some of the most powerful time-multiplying techniques to do less and achieve more.

I blog at fectiv.online and create courses about leading a calm and happy life through effectivity and I hope I can create an impact and change as many lives as I can.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Life is a journey of learning and unlearning. One lesson I’ve had to unlearn as an adult is related to working hard vs overworking.

I’ve always seen my dad and granddad overwork themselves to be who they are today. And, from experience, I myself found that working extra hard reeled in the results. Should I also mention the impact of the “hustle culture” videos on YouTube?

I used to work 56-60 hours a week because I thought that working more = getting more done. But I didn’t realise what I was missing out on.

From The Productivity Project written by Chris Bailey, I learned that overworking ourselves doesn’t help much and that we are better off working for 35-40 hours a week instead. It was an interesting idea, and I was craving some sort of break from the endless abyss of work I’d subjected myself to.

So, I went from working 55-60 hours a week to 35-40 hours a week. It felt a bit uncomfortable in the beginning. I even wondered whether I was making excuses, being lazy and whatnot.

But, as days passed by, my mind began to feel freer to think more and come up with better ideas. I’m happier and more able to goof around with my kiddies.

I’ve now embraced my new work hours even tighter. And, my greedy mind has also started wondering about whether I should start implementing ideas from that other book – you know the one called, ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’?

Any advice for managing a team?

Managing a team is easier if you have fewer people per team. I also like prioritising and staying laser-focused on one project at a time. And, contrary to popular belief, I think daily meetings can be very productive if they’re held for 15 min to discuss what was done the previous day and what needs to be done next to steer the project in the right direction.

To maintain high morale, employees need to be treated with respect and allowed more breaks. Their feedback should also be taken seriously.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fectiv.online/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fectiv.online/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fectiv.online/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FectivOnline
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fectiv
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fectiv.online