Homelife

“Organized’’ wasn’t my thing​ I am generally organized adult now. So I must have always been that way, right? Absolutely not! I have a mother who is big on organization, a younger sister who followed in her footsteps from childhood, and then there’s me. I’m clearly different. As a young girl, I loved to spend hours alone reading in my room, draw and paint. I was a bit of a free spirit.   Into my teens, I spent most of my time on my studies and playing on sports teams. On my down time I was always still reading and filling my head with tons of information. My focus on cleaning and organization…um…not so much.   It was not until I became a teacher and got married that I realized the importance of organization. Over time I understood that I can still be me, be Muslim, and be organized.     GET A COPY OF MY WEEKLY PLANNING CHECKLIST HERE   Accountability In the Sunnah, we are going to be asked about things. We are accountable for our children’s’ or family’s life. Even in our job or when we’re doing studies in college, we are held accountable. In order to give other people their right (or haqq) in the way they deserve, in the way that we will be asked about, we have to be organized. There is no avoiding it. At this revelation, I took getting my act together very seriously and decided to become a more organized person. How did I make the switch from a past rooted in disorganization into who I am today? Looking back there were a couple of things I would say I did and would advise any woman who wants to do the same today. TOP TIPS 1. Don’t compare yourself to someone else. When you visit a friend’s or someone’s home, there’s always somebody who will be more organized than you. Use it instead to motivate yourself –and not bring you down. You can’t do it all. There might be a number of things they’re not doing, such as praying on time, spending more time with kids, or reading the Qur’an, because they spend the bulk of their energy on organizing things in the house. Don’t look at other women and think you’re not enough. 2. Don’t feel pressured to do things one way. My mom has her own methodical way of doing things and I love the way she’s organized. However, my approach is to take the good of her example and make the rest my own. Enjoy learning, get ideas from other sisters, podcasts or other materials, and then find something that works for you. Consequently, I have a podcast called Mindful Muslimah Speaks. You may get some ideas there. 3. Don’t ignore your internal struggle. Too often, the reason why we’re not doing one thing is that we’re distracted by something else. There may be things going on with your co-worker or husband, or there’s a comment in social media, etc. that’s still buzzing in your head. Such things can build up over time and could be a factor to being disorganized. Try to address that first. It’s a long journey, but ignoring it completely might just be the thing that trips you up when you’re trying to get organized. 4. Make small changes. Are you a person who isn’t organized and don’t like to be organized? A pile of clothes and drawers not checked for a while may be a common scenario in your space. You may think, “I don’t want to deal with it today. I will do it tomorrow. I’ll get to that,” and then you don’t. Break it up What I did in my Ramadan organization is I do it piece by piece. For example, I spend 10-20 minutes each day organizing my kitchen. There’s a Tuesday cabinet, Wednesday cabinet, and so on, and deal with a drawer or two on a Saturday. It’s better to take a week with de-cluttering than to put it off for weeks. 5. Keep a schedule and check in on yourself. Remember that at the end of the day, no one’s coming for you. You need to help yourself. There are many who get motivated by a YouTube video and inspired by podcasts, but after two or more days, they fall off. It’s very important to check on yourself. Allah is always there and you can call on Him for help. You have to be your own best doctor for your heart. Don’t wait for people to come and save you for certain situations. We have an immense responsibility as a wife and mother. We have to check our self. GET A COPY OF MY WEEKLY PLANNING CHECKLIST HERE Notifications for myself I have a Google calendar and I put a notification on there. I set up scheduled reminders to check if I’m doing the things I said I would do. It’s a game changer for busy moms and young women with a full schedule. Planning ahead This is critical to getting organized. I put everything on paper because on any given day, there are about 30 things swimming in my head and I get overwhelmed. There’s something about getting things out of your head, writing them down on paper, seeing them, organizing them, and getting to them. You may not have a calendar but at least write down all the things you need to do and kick off from there. Planning is key as this is a huge element that’s directly related to being organized. If you haven’t done so already, find a daily and monthly schedule format that works for you. Do check out our Youtube channel and Mindful Muslimah Speaks Podcast for more information and inspiration.