Does this sound like you? You go through your day, go home, then scroll through your phone, all the while your dreams sit off to the side, glittering. When you think about them, you think about all the obstacles that stand between the place you want to be, and it feels impossible. However, what if the only hindrance is the person looking back at you in the mirror? What if what’s truly holding you back is the fear of what lies beyond the chain-link fence? Where you’re at, maybe miserable, but it’s a familiar misery, the type that makes it feel like your home.

Change your mindset

To start to get out of this mindset, the first thing we should do is consider where our doubts are coming from. Shaitan’s whispers are like papercuts; they repeatedly poke at you. If your anxiety feels like that, there is a chance shaitan is using it to convince you to accomplish less. Fortunately, there are a few ways we can begin to separate our thoughts from his and allow us to discern which anxieties are our own.

This prayer appears in Riyad as-Salihin 409:
“Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘How can I feel at ease when the Angel of the Trumpet, (Israfil) has put his lips to the Trumpet and is waiting for the order to blow it’. He (ﷺ) perceived as if this had shocked his Companions, so he (ﷺ) told them to seek comfort through reciting: ‘Hasbunallah wa ni’mal-Wakil'”

The purpose of this story is to bring a sense of tranquility when overwhelmed, which can give us clarity to discern the source of our thoughts.

What can I change?

This step isn’t the simplest, as we tend to underestimate the amount of control we have in our lives. But think about it: if you were locked out of all your social media accounts, how much more time would you have in a day?

Quite a bit, right?

Imagine if you traded in just one hour of your mobile phone time for some time to work on the project you’ve been thinking about. You wouldn’t make too much progress in any one sitting, but eventually those small pieces would come together. An object at rest will stay at rest, which is why you often scroll because you don’t feel like doing what you need to do to get what you want. Once that momentum is built, you’ll keep up with that hobby or work.

What If I still fail?

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Actions are (judged) by motives (niyyah), so each man will have what he intended.” -Hadith 1, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi

If you intend to better yourself because Allah loves productivity and effort, then even if you don’t get the result you’ve been yearning for, Ar-Rahman will reward you for your labor.

Additionally, Allah is Al-Qadeer, The All-Powerful. He made everything in this world and dictated everything that happened. You don’t need to worry about the result of your decisions: that’s Allah’s domain.

“One day I was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” -Hadith 19, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi

This narration is meant to remind Muslims that we shouldn’t worry ourselves to death over what we can’t control. We’re a privileged group in the sense that not only understand this, but we also have the gift of knowing the proper way to connect with Him.

At the end of the day, what do you have to lose? Our time is far too valuable to spend doom scrolling and sitting in a comfortable rot.