“How can I stay motivated to do Personal Progress, and who can help?”

One way to stay motivated is to remember that by consistently working on your Personal Progress, you are cultivating feminine attributes, strengthening your testimony, and reaching your divine potential, as well as preparing to enter the temple and to have a family (see Young Women Personal Progress [booklet, 2009], 1).

Personal Progress is more than just receiving a medallion; it helps you become the best you can be. You can personalize it for what you need in your life. Keep that in mind as you look over the value experiences and plan your projects.

If you try to do it all at once, Personal Progress can seem intimidating. Focus on just one or two experiences at a time. You may find that you are already doing something that fulfills an experience. Set aside a specific time to work on your experiences—for example, every Sunday after church. Other young women, your parents, and Young Women leaders can also help you stay on track. When you have someone cheering you along, it is easier to continue no matter what may get in the way.

Make a Chart

I just finished my Personal Progress. One way I stayed motivated was by making a chart and keeping track of what I was doing. I also told my mom what I was planning on doing, and she would ask me about it. I am working on my Honor Bee now. The best way of all to do Personal Progress is to pray for help.

Emily H., 15, Washington, USA

Work with Friends

I do Personal Progress with friends. We are starting a Personal Progress club. We sit and do Personal Progress. We all can relate to it and are able to share stories on it. It is so much fun. We take turns reading scriptures and set goals together. I learn so much and am able to spiritually grow. I also am so excited about the ribbons.

Madison R., 14, California, USA

Work Together

On the first Tuesday of every month my Young Women group has a Personal Progress night. We all do the experiences together and set goals. It motivates me a lot when we do it all together. It also creates deeper discussions, because we all have an experience to share or a thought to give.

Eva S., 15, Utah, USA

Start Good Habits

I know that staying motivated for Personal Progress can be hard. The things that helped me were the longer value experiences that took two to three weeks. I made a chart and checked off the days as they passed. As I went through the experiences, I could see good habits becoming part of my life, such as morning prayers and daily journal writing, and I was happier in general.

Erin F., 16, Utah, USA

Remember to Apply

I stay motivated to do Personal Progress by remembering that what I do every day can be applied to it. When you look at it as just another thing on your to-do list, it can become a real drag. But what really helps me is to look at things that I’m already doing and applying them to value experiences and projects. This helps me accomplish more, and it makes me realize all the good I’m doing in my everyday life.

Stephanie M., 16, Michigan, USA

Call and Report

My cousin and I call each other on Sundays to set goals and to tell each other what we did that week for Personal Progress. This helps us stay motivated because we can report our achievements to someone. So far, we have had great success!

Jamie H., 14, California, USA

Just Do It

It helps being upfront with friends and family. It makes them want to be involved with you, so you’re not doing Personal Progress alone. Set aside time on Sunday to do something new in it, and use all the tools available, including online Personal Progress [personalprogress.lds.org]. Set a date you’ll be done by—not just for the whole Personal Progress but with each value—and stick to it. Other than that: Just do it! Thinking about doing it does not get it done.

Sarah W., 17, Idaho, USA

Set Goals with Dates

The way I motivated myself to do Personal Progress was to set a goal for when I would finish it. I wanted to get it done before my 16th birthday. Having that goal gave me something to shoot for and helped me pace myself. I was able to get it done two months before my birthday. So, my advice is: set a goal and work toward it.

Shirley H., 16, Arizona, USA

Post Reminders

It helped me to post Personal Progress tidbits on my mirrors. They were nice daily reminders of what I needed to focus on.

Francesca G., 18, Texas, USA

Do a Few Things

If you make goals for Personal Progress to do a few things every month, then you know that there is a possibility in finishing what you need to get done. Also, reward yourself for achieving your goals.

Olivia L., 13, Illinois, USA