Declutter

There are so many levels of decluttering and we'll go through most of them in this podcast . My life is so much better without cookies cake . Life is so much better without sugar , without social media , without frivolous shopping Not that I actually miss these things and I wish I could have them , but genuinely I mean , life is better because I don't want them .

I don't identify as a person who consumes these items and I am not in constant pain and negotiation about it . Having given up that part of the clutter of the brain is a huge relief . Decluttering of the brain is the biggest gift to yourself . Decluttering of the brain is how you declutter your physical environment . Decluttering and minimalism go hand in hand .

But if you choose to adopt minimalism , it doesn't mean that you don't spend money or that you don't earn a lot of money . It just means you shave off access and use what a single person is expected to consume on average .

Let's say you have enough money to throw a party for 20 people every day for 10 years Doesn't mean you have to have a chef prepare a meal for 20 people every night . You're going to be the only one eating you . Let them prepare a sandwich or a soup or salad . You have the means to consume a lot more , decorate a lot more , buy a lot more .

You can have a lot more cars and purses and the like , but you deliberately spend your time and energy and money in specific things that you actually enjoy Quality over quantity . Decluttering will lead to minimalism . That's usually the first step if you don't already practice minimalism . Let's say you have serving spoons up the wazoo . Get rid of them .

Keep what you'll need or , if you do need them , store them in a way that has their dedicated space so they're not rolling around in front of you while you're trying to reach your favorite one . I know you have a favorite one , we all do . Decluttering of things around you means that you have to start decluttering your mind . Everything starts with the mind .

In this podcast , if you haven't noticed , and this is only because a busy mind leads to a busy body Moving but not purposeful . Always doing but never present . We become human doings , not human beings . Decluttering the mind means decluttering the body , the heart and the inner world . Marie Kondo has amazing work in this field .

Her books Life-Changing , magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy have been incredible in my own transformation . So remember , I always tell you guys , information doesn't lead to transformation .

So when I read books and there are things that are really appealing to me , I make a note of it , either in the book or in a notes app in my phone , or , if it is something that's actionable , I put it right in my calendar . Alhamdulillah , things in my calendar are as good as done .

Also , I don't just put things in there , I evaluate and I make sure things that are going in my calendar deserve my time and energy . So we moved a few years ago and in that move I took advantage of the Marie Kondo method , where you take everything out and you only put back things that you need , want and the things that spark joy .

I don't think she got the memo that things can't spark joy . I don't think she got the memo that things can't spark joy . Only thoughts do . But that's okay . There's a lot to learn from her . We take what benefits us and we leave the rest , and this applies to every teacher in life my philosophy is don't throw the baby out with the bathwater .

So she says first organize things by category , not location , because if you do that , unnecessary things will move around the house and not really exit the house . If you're cleaning out your room , old shoes will end up in the garage shoe storage . When you clean the garage , shoes will end up back in the closet .

That declutters some items , but it doesn't get to the core of the problem . So with her category method , you're decluttering all the shoes items at the same time , or all of the clothing items or accessories . You collect them in one pile and you only take things that spark joy or the ones that are needed . For example , you have a lint roller .

Doesn't really spark joy , but you need it for when you wear black clothes that come out of the dryer and have lint on them . You can choose to have the lint roller just out of necessity or you can choose to have it spark joy .

Marie Kondo , again , apparently still doesn't know that your thoughts spark joy and if I wanted to , I can think of the lint roller in all the ways that it gives me joy . It makes my life so much easier . It helps me appear spectacular in black clothes and I love how small and convenient it is and how it's worth every penny of what I paid for it .

All of those thoughts spark joy . I mean no joke . Technically anything can spark joy in you if you choose to keep it , even out of necessity . So she says only keep things that speak to your heart .

And every now and then I have to go around the house and make sure everything speaks to my heart Everything in the pantry , the closets , the kitchen , backyard , garage . Well , garage is a work in progress for us . But I take time every few weeks and declutter one category . It could be stationery , home decor , linen , closets , books and the like .

Let's say I chose station stationary as a category . Then I'll go around every place in the house where a stationary can be found and I throw away broken , non-functioning items , empty tapes , things that cause visual clutter . Also , it's important to know that I engage in the decluttering process myself first before I outsource it .

If I outsource it , I have to be very clear in my instructions about what I want . So I have to know what I'm doing before I ask someone else to do it . If you hire someone to solve your problem without knowing what end result you want . It will create more problems because your problem is generated in your brain .

Outsourcing your problem to someone else can be a great source of frustration because they don't necessarily know how to solve a problem that's in your brain . Let's say I told the housekeeper to clean up the home office .

I come home and I see everything dusted and stacked , but the printer's out of paper , the tape rolls are empty and the books are not in the shelves and I get frustrated that she didn't solve the problem , while she might be thinking that she did a great job . So you have to be clear with your instructions about what you want . Make audio instructions .

Make video instructions so you don't have to repeat yourself every time your housekeeper or cleaning lady changes . Translate it in their language . If they speak a different language , don't assume they can't do the work . What they can and can't do is out of your control .

Make sure you have addressed everything that is in your control by giving them clear instructions . You can even ask them . I wanted this , but it didn't happen . Do you know why ? How can I support you ? Most of the time it's something silly , like I couldn't find the refill on the window cleaner .

But if they know your style and they're encouraged to be resourceful , they will find it safe to venture out and do things on their own . So the work that you want eventually gets done and your distractions remain on the minimum . You cannot hire someone to declutter the house unless you've done it yourself .

Decluttering requires for you to overcome the objections of your brain , and you cannot outsource that . You have to overcome the objections of your brain and you cannot outsource that . You have to overcome the objections of your brain . If you expect hired help to do that , it will not be a pretty outcome . Same applies with food items . Don't keep expired items .

Don't buy things that you don't think you'll be using in the near future . Buy a quantity that you think you'll need , and frequently visit your cabinets in the refrigerator and throw out things that have been there too long . And also learn from this experience how much you will need for the next time .

If you have items anywhere in the house that you don't know why they're there , they will add unneeded clutter in your physical space and your mental space . Every time you see that item , a thought will cross your mind that it needs to be thrown away . Why is it still here ? I have so much stuff . I have to get this done .

Clutter of the physical space causes clutter of the mental space , which leads to a busy mind , which leads to being tired , exhausted and frustrated . Do yourself a favor and throw away the unnecessary items before you've assigned them too much mental real estate . And then what about decluttering your eating habits ?

Like I told you , minimizing processed carbs , committing to yourself when you'll eat , will declutter the amount of decisions you have to make about your daily meals . I don't allow soda , I only allow natural sugars . About your daily meals I don't allow soda , I only allow natural sugars . In my daily diet , I only allow dessert on very special occasions .

And before you feel bad for me , I really , genuinely don't want any of these things .

I personally teach a method of surfing the urge in my coaching program , where you sit with the urge to eat sugar or cake long enough and frequently enough until it gets deprogrammed out of your brain , until you have no desire left for it . When you have the urge to eat cake and you eat cake , the next urge will be stronger .

When you have the urge to eat cake and you surf the urge , you allow it and you process it and you don't answer it and you don't fight with it , like diet mentality teaches you .

If you do all of that and don't answer the urge with eating the cake , this urge will get weaker for the next time and completely goes out of existence and you will not want cake .

You are not going to be missing cake and you're not going to be constantly thinking about it and you're not going to be creating mental clutter in your head with the negotiations that I will eat half today and half tomorrow and I will work out twice this week and I will skip lunch to make up the calories . These negotiations cause mental clutter .

Clear up that space by decluttering your eating habits . Plan and decide what you will eat ahead of time and stick to that . All of a sudden , you will not have so many decisions to make anymore . I mean , don't get me wrong , I'm a foodie .

I love to try different foods and tastes and experiences , but I don't constantly negotiate with the quality or the quantity of food I will be eating . So even if I'm traveling , my eating plan that we call a protocol in my program will include food . That is expected .

If you're going to buy an ingredient , be creative enough to come up with a few recipes that requires that ingredient so that you use it . Don't let it sit at the back of your fridge for six months Then declutter your time with minimalism in social media consumption . It will give you so much free time .

Also , minimalism in work attire , so you're not standing in front of the closet considering and reconsidering your day's outfit . Declutter your mind by making decisions ahead of time about what you'll be wearing that week . Have it ready and on the go for every day . Simplify your life like the Prophet .

He lived a simple life , with or without having the financial means , at different points in his life . There is a lot to be learned from his seerah when it comes to living a minimalist lifestyle . Another concept is that novelty fights minimalism .

Everything new looks so important , but do you really need to buy the fifth black glitter eyeshadow when you already have four of them ? Do you really need that 10th pair of jeans , four different shades of the tan jersey hijab ? The answer actually could be yes to any one of them or to all of them , but make sure you're choosing that consciously .

Clutter is not just happening to you . You're choosing it . You're always choosing the life you're living . You just have not brought those thoughts into consciousness that are creating these results . I'm equationally asked your kids don't seem to have enough toys .

While my kids are perfectly happy , we don't store toys on the floor or anywhere they can cause visual clutter . We store toys that they're currently using in their closets and we have a library of toys in the toys that they're currently using in their closets , and we have a library of toys in the garage that they can rotate with the current toys .

For every toy they take out of the garage , they have to retire a toy from their closet to make room for the new one . When they get presents for Eid or they buy a new toy , they have to retire an old toy out of the house completely .

Either donate it to Goodwill or we donate it to a local thrift store that supports autism , and they are very well aware of this entire program . They know they have a choice to play with anything or any toy they want , but they also have to be responsible for cleanup after . Another huge space where decluttering has to be considered is in your kid's schedule .

Do one thing at a time , one season at a time . Soccer , martial arts , fine arts all in one season , all , as after school activities end up in over planning and over scheduling . This type of cluttering of activities has actually been shown to be a source of trauma for the children Trauma with a little t In studies .

Children that are constantly busy and are constantly living in clutter , let's say with broken toys or stuff everywhere , show the same behavioral responses as children that have been victims of war . When I first learned this , I was shocked , because our kids are living the trauma of our busy lives , of our restlessness . Visual clutter , too many choices .

Constant busyness is hurting them as much as hustle and purchase , power and possessions are taken to be a sign of success in this time . If they're adding to the clutter , they're actually hurting your health and adding to your stress . Declutter things to think about . Decluttering your physical space will come easy after that . Declutter what you talk about .

Prophet peace be upon him spoke concisely and clearly and with purpose . Abu Huraira reports the messenger of Allah , peace and blessings be upon him , said I have been supported against the enemy by dread and I have been given concise , meaningful words .

While I was sleeping , the keys of the treasures of the earth were brought to me and placed in my hand From Buhari and Muslim . When using communication , declutter things . You will say . There is nothing more taxing to the listener than having to hear a whole speech when a point you're trying to make is very short . Use decluttering while writing an email .

Write concise , impactful words that get the message across . If you're just beginning the journey of minimalism , start with one of these areas . It has been a huge life changer for me , and it was not always like this . It took me a while to let go of my attachments to things .

I am by no means saying that I now live off-grid and have no interest in shopping . That is not even my goal . But what I am saying is that you can make decluttering a lifestyle deliberately and have so much attention span left over to create a life of desire filled with joy , adventure , creativity and exploration .

Don't let clutter be a source of trauma for you . This is totally something I practice and I encourage you guys to adopt as well .

Again , if you're starting , just start with one idea like a kitchen drawer or another small area like that , and keep moving forward . If you've kept a drawer decluttered for a while , see if you can then keep the kitchen decluttered and keep moving on . You will see that it will start to come naturally and will be extremely rewarding With that .

I pray that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Help us stay out of the trap of possessions . May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Help us utilize our means In the best way possible , without being wasteful .

May Allah give us the guidance To spend in the causes that are beloved to him and his prophet , and , if we do have a lot of clutter , may Allah give us guidance To separate ourselves from these materials so that we can then find the divine connection with the space created in our minds . Please keep me in your prayers . I will talk to you guys next time .