New companion, goals, 9 months

- October 31, 2023

Monday, October 30, 2023; Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil:

This week has been exciting for me. I do however feel that it's all missionary things and thoughts, very little nature. But a few photos of river and scenery :)

I have been living in a house of 4 missionaries (2 duplas). This past week we found out that one of the missionaries would be leaving the area, so my companion Elder Schmidt and I received ed a third companion. His name is Elder Gualip and he is from Guatemala.

We had an activity at the chapel this week that featured free physical body care things. For example, free massages, eye exam, and more.

Today I hit 9 months since I started my mission. Only 1 year and 3months more to go. I was reflecting on my time so far. A lot has been used learning Portuguese, basic missionary skills, and just becoming overall confident.

I was thinking on my life. I feel like high school prepared me to become 'adult aged' and to start college. But I also feel like whether it was just me or how life is, I saved the becoming an adult with all the responsibilities, characteristics, being ready for having a family or being totally independent? All of that I feel was more for a year or two more of college, or, in my case a 2year mission. So now i started thinking about that general goal of being ready for independence or total self-sufficiency at the end of my mission.

But I am already a good chunk of my mission in, 9months. Each day that time dwindles. How can I be more prepared for that?

I think one big thing is goals. Not just weekly goals. Not how I do just on a daily base. But what I want to be, how to get there. Also making sure I control things over time. Small decisions and details matter, but sometimes one stray number can skew the data. Maybe there is that one day that's off. But I can't let the single days goals affect my weeks or months.

Habits are built on what we do daily. But sometimes we need to think bigger. We miss a day, just don't miss the next day.

I know this info isn't probably new for all of you, or even for me. But getting older means understanding concepts to a different depth. And actually applying them in our lives.

I think each one of us is at a different spot, but here are three steps, I invite y'all to think about what step you are at and how to move to the next step or expand on a step:

1). Think up a big objective you want. A place you want to reach or big picture goal. (Good grade in a class, finish the Book of Mormon in a year, lose weight. ..)

2). Think up small daily or weekly goals to get there. (Daily exercises, goals for daily scripture study, daily school study...)

3). Zoom back out from the small goals. Think how each day is important but the weeks and months are more important. The small details don't stack up to become problems. Move forward. And reevaluate your goal and how you will get there.

That's my "Ted Talk."

Love y'all, hope y'all are all living life and learning! Remember to give thanks.

Elder David Olson

MANAUS

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