I think as being religious. One has to be conscious of God.
It's true, either knowingly or unknowingly, willfully or unwittingly, one commits sins every day. But if one is conscious of their maker, then praying/asking for forgiveness becomes second nature. I don't know how religious you are Mr. Blah, but you could pray once in the morning and once before you go to bed. Another idea is to simply say, "May God forgive me", or "God forbid". I believe intention can go a long way.
Asking God for certain things is good, and we should ask for blessings, as long as we're trying our best on our end too. But remember this life ends shortly, and in the afterlife, existence is eternal. We can pray for all the blessings of this world. But do not forget to ask for the blessings of the next.
I don't believe God intends to make hardships for us. And yet, hardships are good for the soul because they humble us. Hardships make us grateful for what we do have. Look at the stories of the prophets. Those that suffered and persevered in the cause of God, were indeed those closest to him.