You don't need 300 advices. You just need 3.

Why do you lie to yourself?

I kept asking myself this over and over again—and I think many of us do when it comes to setting goals.

And instead of watching another YouTube video or asking another hundred people for advice, let me tell you this: you only need to know these three things.

But your life won’t change just by knowing them—you need to act on them, starting today.

Let’s get into it.

Knowing vs. acting

As of today, knowledge is everywhere—which also means we have no excuse anymore.

In fact, you could learn anything in one day. It only takes one video, one prompt, or even just one book.

Thousands of people have walked the path before you. Thousands more have learned, failed, and learned again.

But what really makes the difference is the one who knows—and the one who does.

Think about it:

What makes Abu Bakr (RA) special?
What makes Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) special?
And Ali (RA)?

The first thing that comes to mind is what they did.
What they accomplished.
What they sacrificed.

And these are the things they were ultimately known by—not just their knowledge.

Don’t get me wrong—may Allah be pleased with them all—they were more knowledgeable and wise than any of us could ever be.

They were the ones Allah ﷻ proclaimed “the best people,” after all.

But what made them special is that they acted upon what they knew—because the knowledge entered their hearts, not just their brains.

What difference does it make when I tell you what tahajjud does for you—if you’ll just end up scrolling away or forgetting it the next moment?

What difference does it make when we learn the Names and Attributes of Allah but don’t live by them?

What difference does it make when your prayer becomes performance, not presence?

We’ve reached a time where even non-Muslim entrepreneurs acknowledge the incredible drive Islam gives people.

They actively ask themselves why people are converting to Islam.

Look—Islam is perfect because it’s from Allah ﷻ.

Me and you? We need refining.

We need to become good again. We need to become of benefit to this Ummah—again.

If you want to know why some Muslims are more successful than others, the answer is simple: taqwa.

It’s how seriously they take their deen and what they’ve learned about Allah.

They take it at face value and try to implement it—they don’t just memorize it.

And to not make it more complicated:
That’s really the difference between knowing and acting upon what you know—taqwa.

What now?

So what do we do with this information?

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that we’re not where we need to be—and we’re struggling to control our nafs like never before.

But instead of making you feel worse, let me tell you this: you need two lists.

1. A list that tells you the harsh truth — where you stand with Allah ﷻ right now.

2. A list that gives you hope for a better future — where you want to stand with Allah ﷻ.

Let’s break them down.

Your first list

I feel like this is the more important one. Not because your future doesn’t matter, but because you need to know where you stand in order to know where you want to be.

You also need to be honest with yourself in order to build actual growth—and not just follow other people’s dreams and desires.

You need to acknowledge that Allah ﷻ created every single human being differently.

In fact, Allah ﷻ tells us in the Qur’an that every single one of us works in their own way:

In Tafsir Ibn Kathir, it’s explained that this means something like: "according to his inclinations and his nature."

In Ma'ariful Qur’an, it’s even explained how this ayah was understood as a "warning to human beings to refrain from bad habits and behavior."

One very important thing to remember when it comes to our sincerity in ibadah is that Allah ﷻ connected sincerity to taqwa.

Your sincerity and taqwa are deeply connected. So if you want to build taqwa, the only way is to be honest about your situation with Allah ﷻ.

That honesty is the foundation of your tawbah—your repentance and return to Him.

Start today, and leave the guilt aside. It won’t take you far.

Your second list

Here’s the thing about goals:

On one hand, we set unrealistic goals that leave us unmotivated, exhausted, and burned out—until we give up altogether.

On the other hand, we don’t set any goals at all.

What we need is the middle ground.

Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:

Look, set your goals HIGH. Dream BIG. When it comes to du‘a, aim for a limitless sky—because you’re asking Allah ﷻ, the Owner of all things, including your deeds and your imaan.

When it comes to du‘a, there’s no such thing as asking too much—because you’re asking Allah, the Almighty.

I once heard that pilots fly higher than the minimum needed so the plane can reach a more stable altitude—where the air is smoother and the flight becomes more efficient.

It’s the same with your goals: Aim higher than what feels necessary, so even if you fall a little short, you’re still flying at a strong, stable level.

• Aim for the A+ — you might get an A or A–

• Aim for 1 million $ a year — you might reach 700–800K

• Aim for tahajjud every day — you might manage at least 5x a week

You get the idea.

That doesn’t mean you can’t reach the end goal—you can.

But the most important question is: has Allah written it for you or not?

Because at the end of the day, you’ll only get what Allah ﷻ has written for you.

And if He hasn’t written it, you won’t get it—no matter what.

But that’s all from His endless and amazing wisdom—the kind we can’t always understand.

Alhamdulillah.

So for now: Aim high. Set your goals—even if they seem far-fetched.
I’m sure you’re living at least one of the du‘as you once made, right?

And when you make that list—don’t believe in your own abilities.
Believe in the abilities of Allah ﷻ.

Believe that Allah is the Almighty, the One who can make the impossible possible—by simply saying “Be,” and it is.

^{For more insights on how to structure your dua properly I recommend visiting the page of my dear friend @digitalduadiary on instagram and get her “Tie Your Camel” guide - your dua game will change forever!}

But wait—I did promise you three pieces of advice to help you be better, didn’t I?

Let’s get into it.

3 Timeless Advices

When you set your goals, focus on these three areas to make things easier but effective:

1. Body

2. Mind

3. Heart

Allah ﷻ has created you with all of these.

In Islam, we focus on the inner and outer realm of the human being, which is apparent in several places in the Quran when Allah emphasizes the heart and mind in relation to reflection and self-improvement.

Here are some examples:

When it comes to your body, it’s an amanah—meaning it’s entrusted to you by Allah ﷻ. That’s why certain things are haram, like tattoos.

So, set at least one goal for your body:

• Fasting

• Exercise (could be daily walks)

• Stretching

• Cupping

Anything to improve the health of your body.

Do not underestimate this step—even this can become an act of ibadah with the right intention, in shaa Allah.

Choose one thing to focus on and slowly but surely build toward that goal.

When it comes to your mind, you already know that acquiring knowledge is extremely important in Islam—in fact, it’s an obligation.

You could set goals in areas like:

• Quran (reading or memorizing—look for what you’re good at and focus there)

• Tadabbur of the Quran (get one of my guides here)

• Books you read (e.g. 12 a year—1 book a month)

• Learning new skills

• Less consumption of social media

Whatever you feed your mind will eventually show in your actions. It’s crazy how lazy endless scrolling can make you—and how much more energized you feel when you read, reflect, or watch meaningful documentaries.

And last but not least—the most important one: your heart.

As you might know, this is one of the areas I focus on in my content.

Your heart is one of a kind—literally. This isn’t the main topic of this newsletter, but the amount of things you need to consider to not slowly destroy your iman is actually wild.

Whatever you feed your heart will show in your body and mind—and vice versa.

This hadith explains the importance of the heart perfectly:

So, in order to keep your heart sound and protected from the desires and distractions of this world, you first need to learn what to shield it from.

Dr. Haifaa Younis has done extensive videos and lessons on this topic—I highly recommend checking out her content, in shaa Allah.

Some of these things include forms of zina, such as:

• What you watch (and how much)

• What you hear (and how much)

• What you eat (and how much)

• What acts you engage in (and how much)

The proof is this hadith:

So basically, anything that enters your heart through your five senses and then some.

I suggest going through each of your senses and writing down where you need to improve and where you want to be.

If you’re watching haram things daily, start by cutting it down to 5 times. It sounds ridiculous, I know—but for many people, cutting everything off immediately will backfire.

Take your time, but repent regularly and sincerely try to change. If you can stop immediately—may Allah help you—then please do.

Please seek professional help too. You’re not alone in this.

And that concludes the three areas you need to work on.

It’s simple: one bad habit to cut, and one good habit goal to set for the future.

It sounds easy—and it is. But the acting part is the real test.

Which is why I designed a 10-page guide to help you do exactly that. It summarizes everything you need to know about habits for now, includes templates to work with, and features duas you might need along the way.

The guide is printable and affordable—what are you waiting for?

Get it here.

We’ve reached the end.

How do you feel? What are your thoughts about all this?

On one hand, it might have felt overwhelming—and I totally get that.
But we have to start somewhere.

I myself have so much to work on too. Please don’t think I’m perfect—I'm not at all.
I’m just here to help others along the way and to keep myself accountable for what I do.

The fight against the nafs is not easy, especially in the times we live in.
But like I’ve said before: the gift of Allah ﷻ is expensive—it’s Jannah.

That’s all for today. I hope this letter helped you, and that you’ll take one step—no matter how small—toward real improvement, in shaa Allah.

Until next time, I’ll leave you

في امان الله ^{(in the protection of Allah)}

❦ Dunja ❦