1. I went to a really good class tonight for returned missionaries and the speaker mentioned that RMs often stop praying as frequently. I realized that I was definitely guilty of that, and the speaker mentioned that we could try to pray every hour. I like the idea! I'm going to try it out.

2. I was also looking for ways to be more effective in my homework since it always takes me SO LONG, and I found a website about how it helps to have specific goals for each study session. Maybe I already do that, but I'm not sure...

3. Another thing I'd like to be better at is retaining the information I learn, so I Googled that and found a really good article! The author said:
"Listening or reading something is just listening or reading.It’s not real learning.
Real learning comes from making mistakes.
And mistakes come from implementation.
And that’s how you retain 90% of everything you learn."

So basically, it's like BYU-Idaho's Learning Model--you have to teach other people in order to really learn. When you teach, you make mistakes, which makes you have to concentrate. Really, it makes you into an active, concentrated learner instead of a passive listener. I like it! I think I'll try to make my own private blog where I teach what I learn in my classes.

4. One of the biggest tender mercies today was having the inspiration to examine my thoughts. I've been feeling super overwhelmed and discouraged lately with decision-making, and it really helped me to remember that I can tell myself the truth about things. For example, I will admit that my room was kind of messy this morning, which contributed to feeling overwhelmed. So I thought to myself, "I have five minutes. I can give five minutes to clean up." The power to change your life by what you tell yourself is one of my favorite principles! It has helped me to have better scripture study, and I'm excited to apply it to every area of my life.

5. Speaking of principles, one of my Education Week classes today was about how powerful principles are in helping us make decisions. They apply across every situation, and the scriptures are full of them. He mentioned that blessings we receive are full of principles, so even if we don't receive a direct answer, we can receive something more useful--principles that will apply to not only that moment, but every circumstance. Hopefully it's okay that I'm sharing these insights...