The Secret to Happiness is Improvement | An Interview with Riley Jensen

Leading Saints Podcast

Although Riley Jensen enjoys the arts, music, and a good, sappy romantic comedy, he is usually mistaken for a jock. Riley started as a quarterback at Utah State University and currently works full time as a sport psychology consultant, or mental performance coach, addressing the innermost fears of most athletes: failure. He enjoys giving athletes, corporate employees, and young people the tools to handle a stressful and frightening world. Riley went back to school at the over-the-hill age of 40 (it’s the new the new 30, right?) to get his MS in Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Utah. He is married to the wonderful and talented Georgann Manolis Jensen and they have three beautiful children. Riley served his mission in Marseille, France, and his dream is to serve another mission in France one day, and to enjoy laughing and watching his children make some of the mistakes he made. Highlights 02:20 Kurt introduces Riley and his work. 04:00 Riley shares his background of playing football and serving a mission. 08:30 Riley describes what he does as a mental performance coach. 12:00 What do mental performance skills look like in real life? What are those skills? 18:30 The definition of happiness is improvement. 21:30 What’s the number one way to build confidence? Take small steps out of your confidence everyday. 23:40 As a leader, we want everyone to improve and we want to guide them. However, we have to start with ourselves. It’s not about doing more. Sometimes it’s just about your attitude and enthusiasm about what you are doing. 29:00 Leadership is really about embracing the gospel into ourselves and then using the spirit that is within us to help people with little steps. 30:00 In Greek, enthusiasm means that God is within you. Do you have enthusiasm in your calling? Do you know what your purpose is? 35:30 Measuring confidence. Helping others to have confidence. 46:15 Dealing with anxiety in leadership. Riley shares examples and tips to help calm the anxiety. 53:30 Have you tried singing hymns to erase the bad thoughts and calm anxiety? How else can you get focused on the positive? 58:30 Anxiety is inversely proportional to confidence. So anything that you can do to lower anxiety will also strengthen your confidence and motivation. 59:10 Motivational interviewing or reflective listening. Riley gives examples. 1:10:00 Resources that Riley offers and where you can find him 1:11:30 Riley’s final thoughts and testimony Links Riley Jensen Performance Group Twitter @RileyJensen Mindset Matters Podcast Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.