LDS Missionary: Have you ever noticed that once your brain decides something is true, it suddenly seems to find evidence for it everywhere? Maybe you've decided your companion is annoying, you're not a good teacher, or your area is terrible, and before long, that's almost all you can see.

In this episode, I'm talking about the idea that what you focus on grows. We'll look at how your brain naturally filters information, how confirmation bias can keep strengthening what you already believe, and why being intentional about where you place your attention can change the way you experience your mission, your relationships, and even yourself. This isn't about pretending hard things aren't hard or forcing yourself to be positive. It's about noticing what you're repeatedly training your brain to find.

I'll also talk about the difference between feeling an emotion and feeding an emotion, why redirecting your focus doesn't mean avoiding your problems, and how being present with whatever is right in front of you can create more peace, connection, joy, and meaning. My hope is that you start noticing where your attention is going and remember that you get to be intentional about what you want to grow.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

02:24 – Your Brain Is Always Looking for Something

03:12 – Your Brain Will Find Evidence for What You Believe

05:30 – Which Wolf Are You Feeding?

06:49 – What Are You Training Your Brain to Look For?

08:44 – Focusing on What Is Good

10:40 – Your Circumstances Don't Have to Change First

12:01 – Redirecting Your Focus

13:47 – Feeling an Emotion vs. Feeding an Emotion

16:40 – Focus Brings You Into the Present

18:32 – There Is No "Right" Way to Focus

21:45 – What Are You Feeding With Your Attention?

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Hey LDS missionary: have you ever noticed that when a big emotion shows up, you tend to do one of two things? Maybe you push it down, minimize it, or tell yourself you shouldn't feel that way. Or maybe you swing the other direction and suddenly the emotion feels urgent, scary, or like evidence that something has gone wrong.

In this episode, I'm talking about what it looks like to put emotions in their proper place. We'll explore the difference between underpaying and overpaying attention to what you feel, why emotions can be useful information without always being perfectly accurate, and how a little calm curiosity can help you understand what's actually going on instead of immediately trying to fix, suppress, or obey the feeling.

I'll also walk you through five ways to work with emotion: normalize it, get curious, stop resisting yourself, remove the morality, and listen to what the emotion is trying to tell you. My hope is that you learn to let your emotions have a voice without giving them the final decision. You don't have to leave them on the side of the road, stuff them in the trunk, or let them drive. You can give them a seat in the car and still stay in the driver's seat.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

02:38 – What Does It Mean to Put Emotions in Their Proper Place?

04:36 – When We Underpay Attention to Emotion

07:24 – When We Overpay Attention to Emotion

10:13 – Calm Curiosity Instead of Urgency

11:49 – Emotions Are Information

15:51 – Five Ways to Put Emotion in Its Proper Place

19:06 – Stop Resisting Yourself

21:02 – Your Feelings Are Not a Measure of Your Worth

23:20 – Give the Emotion a Voice, Not the Final Decision

27:03 – How This Builds Self-Trust and Resilience

30:20 – Give Emotions a Seat, But Keep Driving

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

As an LDS missionary, ave you ever had a picture in your head of how a transfer on your mission was supposed to go, only to have the actual experience look completely different? Maybe you expected a certain companion, a baptism, more confidence, better language skills, or a strong finish to your mission. And when reality doesn't match the version you imagined, it can be easy to feel disappointed, stressed, or like something has gone wrong.

In this episode, I'm talking about transfer expectations and the difference between having a hope or preference and turning that preference into a requirement for you to feel okay. We'll look at the expectations we put on our companions, mission leaders, areas, outcomes, and even ourselves, and how those expectations can quietly become a measuring stick we use against the mission we're actually having.

I also want to help you hold your expectations a little more loosely. You can want something without needing it to happen. You can accept the reality of your transfer without pretending you love everything about it. And you don't have to wait for the baptism, the next transfer, or the end of your mission to finally feel successful, satisfied, or at peace. Those feelings are available to you now. My hope is that you can spend a little less time comparing your mission to the one you imagined and a little more time actually living the one you have.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

03:56 – The Transfer You Expected vs. the Transfer You're Having

05:31 – Is Reality Disappointing, or Is the Expectation?

06:50 – When Expectations Become a Measuring Stick

09:07 – Preference vs. Requirement

10:27 – The Unwritten Scripts We Give Other People

11:57 – Expectations You Put on Yourself

13:41 – Hold the Expectation Loosely

16:12 – Acceptance Doesn't Mean You Have to Like It

18:17 – The Feeling You Want Is Available Now

19:58 – It's Okay to Feel Trunky

21:05 – Live the Transfer You're Actually Having

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Have you ever wondered whether the small, repetitive things you're doing actually matter? Maybe missionary work, school, dating, motherhood, personal growth, or simply showing up for your life has started to feel like a grind. You may not feel motivated, inspired, or especially confident, but you keep putting one foot in front of the other.

In this episode, I'm sharing some tender, off-the-cuff thoughts about consistency, missionary discouragement, and the impact of continuing to show up. We'll explore why consistency doesn't have to look the same for everyone, why going through the motions can sometimes be enough, and why the "ugh" part of doing hard things doesn't mean that something has gone wrong.

I want to remind you that your small efforts matter, even when you can't immediately see the results. Every lesson, conversation, workout, social event, late-night feeding, podcast episode, or seemingly insignificant act becomes another grain of sand. Over time, those grains build your character, your relationships, and your life's work. My hope is that you feel seen in whatever grind you're currently experiencing and find the strength to keep going.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

00:56 – Speaking from the Heart

02:19 – Restore Connect and a Podcast Request

05:10 – Consistency Can Look Different for Everyone

06:54 – Why Your Small Efforts Matter

09:21 – When Life Feels Like Groundhog Day

11:37 – Building Character and a Body of Work

12:52 – The "Ugh" Part Doesn't Go Away

14:52 – Sometimes You Have to Grind It Out

17:12 – The Grind Matters, Even When It Doesn't Feel Like It

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

Don't forget to grab your tickets to Restore Connect 2026 put on by Faith Matters. You can use my code: JENNIE to get 10% off your ticket.

https://www.faithmatters.org/p/announcing-the-restoreconnect-agenda

Have you ever wondered if becoming a more consecrated missionary means becoming less of yourself? Maybe you've started to feel like the things you love, the interests you had before your mission, or even parts of your personality need to disappear in order for you to truly be "set apart."

In this episode, I want to explore the difference between laying aside worldly things and laying aside yourself. We'll talk about why your personality, creativity, interests, desires, and the things that light you up aren't necessarily distractions from missionary work. In fact, they may be part of what God gave you to help you connect, contribute, and bring your whole self to the work.

I'll also walk you through some questions to help you notice what fuels you, what you may have unnecessarily labeled as "worldly," and how you can bring the essence of what you love into your mission within the mission framework. My hope is that you leave knowing that being set apart doesn't require you to become a generic version of a missionary. You can be consecrated and still be fully you.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

01:53 – Feeling Like You're Disappearing on Your Mission

03:42 – What Are Missionaries Actually Asked to Set Aside?

05:24 – Consecration Does Not Mean Eliminating Yourself

09:30 – What Lights You Up Is Not a Measure of Spirituality

13:29 – Discovering What Lights Your Match

16:38 – Missionary Work Requires Emotional Fuel

19:15 – Bringing Your Interests into the Mission Framework

24:32 – You Are Responsible for Creating Your Spark

27:21 – Questions to Help You Stay Set Apart and Still You

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5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode 272: Contention vs. Conversation, I explore a question that has come up repeatedly in my coaching sessions with missionaries: Does avoiding difficult conversations really create peace? Many missionaries have been taught that contention is not of Christ, but sometimes that belief leads them to stay silent, hide their thoughts, or avoid necessary conversations altogether. In this episode, we look more closely at what the scriptures actually teach about contention and why disagreement isn't the same thing as being contentious.

Together, we'll explore the difference between cowering, controlling, and collaborating—three very different ways of approaching conflict and communication. I explain why shrinking yourself isn't the same as meekness, why trying to force someone to agree with you isn't Christlike leadership, and how healthy conversations can preserve both honesty and agency. We'll also look at Doctrine and Covenants 121, discuss the emotions that fuel our conversations, and walk through practical questions you can ask yourself before deciding whether a difficult conversation is necessary.

If you've ever worried that speaking up might create contention, or if you've struggled to know when to have a conversation and when to simply let something go, I hope Episode 272: Contention vs. Conversation gives you greater clarity and confidence. My hope is that you'll discover that true peace isn't created by avoiding hard conversations—it's created by approaching them with humility, love, and a willingness to collaborate rather than control.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

00:55 – Why Missionaries Avoid Hard Conversations

04:28 – Is Disagreement the Same as Contention?

07:35 – Hiding Yourself Isn't the Same as Keeping the Peace

10:30 – Conversation Is Not Contention

12:11 – The Continuum: Cower, Collaborate, or Control

14:56 – Why Control Creates Contention

17:59 – What Healthy Collaboration Looks Like

21:27 – Questions to Ask Before Having a Hard Conversation

24:53 – Peace Isn't the Absence of Disagreement

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here

In Episode 271: The Outcomes Formula, I introduce a new coaching framework that represents a shift in the way I help missionaries and clients understand their thoughts, emotions, and actions. If you've listened to earlier episodes where I taught The Model, don't worry—I'm not throwing it out. Instead, I've simplified and refined the process into something I believe is more compassionate, more flexible, and easier to apply in everyday life. My hope is that this new approach helps you spend less time judging yourself and more time understanding what's really happening in your mind.

Throughout this episode, I walk through each step of what I call The Outcomes Formula: Observation, Assessment, Feeling, Action, and Outcome. We explore how your brain naturally takes in information, assigns meaning to it, creates emotions, fuels your actions, and ultimately produces the outcomes you experience. Rather than focusing on whether your observations are perfectly factual, I explain why it's often more helpful to become curious about the meaning your brain is assigning to those experiences and how that meaning shapes the rest of the formula.

If you've ever wondered why you keep getting stuck in the same emotional patterns, why anxiety or discouragement seem to repeat themselves, or how to interrupt those cycles with greater compassion and awareness, I hope Episode 271: The Outcomes Formula gives you a practical tool you can return to again and again. My hope is that this framework helps you better understand yourself, strengthen your emotional resilience, and recognize that lasting change begins with becoming aware of the stories your brain is telling you—not by trying to become someone different.

As always, if you found this episode helpful, I want to invite you to subscribe if you aren't already, share this episode with your friends and missionaries you know, and write a review. I know this work will help LDS missionaries around the world and it would mean so much to me if you did. Until next week my friends.

00:00 – Introduction

00:54 – Why I'm Teaching a New Coaching Framework

03:30 – Introducing the Outcomes Formula

05:14 – Step 1: Observation (What You're Noticing)

08:11 – Step 2: Assessment (The Meaning Your Brain Creates)

10:57 – Steps 3 & 4: Feelings Fuel Your Actions

16:28 – Step 5: Outcomes and the Feedback Loop

19:49 – Why I Moved Beyond "The Model"

26:07 – Using the Outcomes Formula with Compassion Instead of Shame

29:34 – The Power of Changing Your Assessment

Website | Instagram | Facebook

5 Ways to Process Any Less-Than Happy Mission Memories Article: HERE

Get the Full Show Notes and Text/PDF Transcripts: HERE

Free PDF Download: Podcast Roadmap

Free PDF Download: Preparing Missionary Cheat Sheet

Free Training for Preparing Missionaries: Change Your Mission with this One Tool

RM Transition Free Video Series: 3 Tools to Help RMs in Their Transition Home

Free Guide: 5 Tips to Help Any Returning Missionary

Schedule a Free Strategy Call: Click Here