How do I stay focused as I prepare to serve a mission?

It is so overwhelming preparing for a mission. There are so many things to think about. "How am I going to find everything I need?" "How do I know what to bring?" "There's so much I want to learn and study before I leave!" "What if I don't know enough? What if my testimony isn't strong enough?" "I don't know if I can do this... am I really good enough to go on a mission?" Here are some ideas to help you stay focused as you prepare.

- Start incorporating a missionary schedule. Wake up at 6:30 am, exercise, study for a half hour or more. Starting your day this way will help you get used to the missionary lifestyle, will give you a great boost for the rest of the day, and will invite the Spirit into your day. Make sure to go to bed by 10:30 pm too! :)
- Study scriptures. Study by topic, or read a story and apply it to your life. See how all four of the standard works link together. Read missionary stories in the scriptures.
- Study other books by the Church. Learn more about Church History and individual prophets.
- Study Preach My Gospel. Study each subject and each principle you will teach about as a missionary. One way to study the lessons is to take each bold heading (for example, God is our Loving Heavenly Father) and write three sentences for each of them. Then practice describing each section as simply as you can out loud. This is something my sister has done in the mission field and it has helped her a lot. Too often we throw so much information on our investigators when really, we just need to focus on the basics. Simple, powerful statements.
- Study "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage. Be careful with it, though, it is best in small dosages. There are a couple of chapters that focus particularly on the apostles and their relationship with Christ, as well as their growth as ministers of Christ. It is wonderful to learn from that book, that they too were inexperienced once, and vastly unprepared at first to be Christ's messengers. But their relationship with Christ was tender and helped them grow, the same way our relationship with Christ helps us meet our challenges.
- Read conference talks about missionary work.
- Read missionary stories from family history. Ask family members and friends for mission stories - both positive and uplifting stories and difficult and discouraging stories.
- Attend mission preparation classes.
- Pray sincerely. Talk to Heavenly Father like you would your best friend. Tell Him what's going on in your life and how you feel about it. Thank Him for the opportunity you have to serve a mission and ask Him for help preparing. Be sure to pay attention to how you feel and to listen for any answers He may have for you.
- Go on exchanges with the missionaries.
- Be a member missionary! Invite any friends who are not members or who are less active to activities. Don't be afraid to open your mouth and talk about the gospel. Befriend any investigators, new converts, and less actives that come to church with the missionaries.
- Attend  the temple often. I would recommend at least once a week, if possible. It helps to be spontaneous too and go whenever you feel like it instead of planning ahead. This way Satan doesn't have a chance to stop you.
- Meet with your bishop/branch president regularly. He can help you stay focused on a more personal basis. He can also give you any encouragement that you may need.
- Try to think of Heavenly Father and Christ at all times and ask yourself if you are currently serving Him. Try to see other people as He would see them. As a missionary, more than ever before, you will be constantly thinking of Heavenly Father and Christ and your relationship with them, and you will be thinking "I want to help that lady over there trimming her hedges to have a relationship with God, too."
- Do your best to have a positive attitude with whatever is going on in your life and with anyone you interact with. Pray for help, if you need it. I have a family member who texts uplifting thoughts to her friends and family members a few times a week. This is a great way to keep happy thoughts going not only for you, but for those you know as well.
- Write lists. Write a list of things you want to do to help stay focused. Write a list of items you still need to get. Write a list of things you want or need to do before you leave. Set goals and make plans of what you want to accomplish in the next week, month, before you leave. I don't know about you, but it really helps me sort out my thoughts and be more relaxed if I write everything down.

And most importantly...

- Know that it is perfectly normal to feel Satan's presence more now than ever before. Satan works hard to tell us we're not good enough and to tempt us to do things we wouldn't normally do. You are good enough. You are a child of God and He will help you. It is very normal to feel discouraged, but do your best to push aside those feelings and focus on doing what God wants you to do. You can do it!!

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