What to do after your mission: a guide to the first 90 days
Coming home from your mission is a big change. You go from a highly structured schedule to open days, with new decisions every week. This guide offers concrete steps for the first three months so the change does not throw you off.
Weeks 1 and 2: rest and reconnect
Sleep, spend time with your family and hold off on big decisions. Still, keep a minimal routine: a fixed time to get up, personal study and prayer. That small anchor helps you feel continuity.
Month 1: build a typical week
Sketch a normal week on your calendar with fixed blocks for what matters:
- Scripture study and spiritual preparation.
- Exercise, ideally at the same time each day.
- Work or school.
- Service and time with family and friends.
It does not have to be perfect. What matters is that the essentials get a place and a time.
Month 2: pick a focus in four areas
Choose one small goal in each area: spiritual, intellectual, physical and social. For example, finish a book, learn a language, run three times a week or serve someone every day. Four clear goals work better than twenty vague ones.
Month 3: review and adjust
Ask yourself what held, what fell away and why. Adjust schedules, lower the bar where needed and celebrate what did move forward.
Tips for the road
- Do not compare yourself with other returned missionaries. Everyone comes home to a different situation.
- Stay in touch with your mission companions.
- Find a way to serve soon in your ward or community.
- Ask for help when you need it. Talking to someone you trust saves months of doubt.
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