Ponder
In January 1999, President Gordon B. Hinckley (of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or Mormons) wrote an article called The Four Great Responsibilities of Life. Included in his list were responsibility to family, to the church, to work, and to yourself. In discussing your responsibility to yourself, his complete focus was placed on taking time to ponder and expounding its benefits.
There are a few answers that will get you through 90% of questions asked in junior Sunday school: "Pray," "Keep the commandments," "Love," "Service" and "Jesus." Pondering should be added to this list of gospel essentials:
Pondering gospel principles both helps you to better understand yourself, your life's purpose, and your place in the world, and helps you to internalize these principles both through thought and, when done prayerfully, the effect of the Holy Spirit working on you.
Understanding the gospel increases your faith which builds motivation to live right--making it easier and improving your performance.
Pondering is the only way to make abstract gospel principles really come to life for you. A great amount of beauty and power and faith is waiting for you to look for it and find it.
One example of a gospel principle you might ponder is Eternity (just to show that any one will do and can change your life). When you think long enough about eternity, you come to realize just how little day-to-day stresses and trials matter. You come to realize how silly and short-sighted it is to choose fleeting pleasures over lasting joy, happiness and security through obedience to commandments. You no longer feel guilty about not being good enough right at this moment if you're trying to improve--you realize that eternity is plenty of time to work for perfection.
Of course the most valuable principles to ponder and understand include the atonement, forgiveness, faith, hope, love, teaching others, prayer, the purpose of life, repentance, commandments, etc.
Find time throughout your day to ponder. Do it on your commute to work. Take a walk around the park or neighborhood. Take a few minutes in your room or while preparing a meal. Try to keep your mind on your chosen subject. Ask and answer questions such as "Why is this important?" and "What difference does this make in my life?"
Guarantee: once you give this a try and begin to enjoy its fruits, you'll never want to give it up!