Hey, Mrs Austin

Here's a follow up to the previous episode about the 6 stages of dating. I spend a lot of time laying out my reasons for thinking it is wise to slow way down in the early phase of dating. And then have a few thoughts about engagement.

Have you ever thought about the various stages that you'll go through as you move toward marriage? On this episode, I lay out what I think are the 6 dating stages. Stages 1 and 2 are often skipped over completely, and I think they're super important. Have a listen to find out why!

A dating situation that doesn't work out often feels like a failure. It's good to recognize the disappointment that comes when your crush isn't interested or a date that seems promising turns out to be a no. But it's also wise to let a no work to your advantage. Once you've experienced a no, a yes is a lot more obvious. Dates that don't work out can help hone your discernment so that you're more likely to recognize a yes in the future. A no can be good when you look at the big picture. Questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you! [email protected]

I love finding ways to think wisely about goals and unmet desires. Dating well and getting married are big topics to tackle- let's break them down by considering routines and projects. What should you do regularly in this dating season? How might it be helpful to consider some things as projects- tasks that have a start and end each week? That's what this episode is all about. I don't want to give all the surprises away, but I talk about how I get laundry done. Thrilling stuff, y'all! I hope you find it helpful. =)

What's a wise way to handle nosey questions about your dating life? My answer may surprise you- listen to this episode to hear my thoughts!

Set ups are a great way to meet new people. I highly recommend being open to them! Today's episode lays out tips for helping them happen and lays out how to decide if a set up is successful.Template for asking friends about a set up: https://www.heymrsaustin.com/asking-friends-acquaintances-about-blind-dates/Another set up post: https://www.heymrsaustin.com/lets-talk-about-set-ups/

I recently saw a post online that said, "Texting is not dating." There's a lot of wisdom in that simple statement! In today's dating culture, messaging and texting a lot before meeting someone seems to be the default. But is that a wise practice? Check out this episode to hear my thoughts on it.I reference dating coach Erika Ettin in this episode. Her instagram can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/alittlenudge/ I highly recommend her insta highlight titled "Templates" for when you need some help with how to phrase a message or text.

As with much of life, dating has a lot of stops and starts. How can we begin again after a break up or a series of false starts? Let's talk about it on today's episode!

Dating is the worst. Or is it? We seem to have collectively decided to be very negative about dating. What if we stopped complaining and had hope that good will come from this season? What if we decided to have fun with it? Let's talk about that on today's episode. I mention a new dating coaching I've started following. You can find her on instagram here: www.instagram.com/alittlenudge/

Are there ways to make yourself more approachable and easier to talk to? You betcha. Let's talk about that today!

A date. A boyfriend. A wonderful marriage. A nap. There are a lot of good things we want in life! On this episode, I talk about a helpful way to think about things you want, specificallly a desire for marriage. It's a topic I get pretty excited about because it's been so impactful in my own life. I hope you find it helpful!

Dating is full of a lot of maybes. Do you like him? Does he like you? Are you going to date him? Is he going to text you back? Do you want him to text you back? So many unresolved decisions! What are some wise ways to sit with all of this uncertainty? Let's talk about that today!

In the last episode, I focused on getting intentional about meeting new people this summer and setting some dating goals. That got me thinking about ways to be intentional if you've already met someone and are in the early, gathering information phase of dating. In this episode, I share some ideas for how to wisely go about getting to know someone.

This epidsode has a couple glitches- pardon the moments of silence! I could try to edit or re-do it, but I'm choosing to go with done and good rather than perfect. =) Anyhow, summer is a great time to meet new people and work on some dating goals. What if you set a goal to meet 15 new people by September? Let's consider going new places, trying new activities, and even being the one to host events where others can connect. I mention episodes 7 and 12 if you're looking for more tips on meeting new people.

Where are all of the good men? Well, everywhere of course! That may sound obvious and a bit silly. But it's good to remember that there really are great men out there to meet and get to know. Listen in to hear more thoughts on that today! Here's a link to the Andrew Peterson song I mention- For the Love of God 

It may seem reasonable to ignore dating advice from your friend who got married young or from someone who had a different dating experience than your current reality. However! If I'd had that mindset... I wouldn't be Mrs. Austin! Listen in to today's episode for more on that and for some encouragement to welcome dating conversations rather than shutting them down.

I often needed a gentle pep talk before going on a first date. Here's one from me to you if you want some encouragement the next time you're meeting up with someone new. I have these tips available as a printable download here on my blog.

Today I'm sharing a few follow up thoughts I had after episode 8. Did all of my encouragement help Trav step up and pursue me? Did my friend end up going on a second date? And I keep talking about what to do when it's all a big maybe.

Is the guy interested? Is he going to ask you out? Should you hang back and see if he shows interest or give some encouragement to help things along? Trav joined me to talk about those questions on today's episode. He's my favorite person to talk to, so I hope you enjoy listening in!

Meeting new people can often feel rather impossible. On today's episode, I share a few tools to help you in that process, including trying out new places or activities, giving set-ups a chance, and dating apps. You've got options! I mention a blog post about set-ups that you can find here .

Dating routines can help get your dating life started and help you keep going when it's difficult and draining. Let's conserve your emotional energy by making some decisions ahead of time.

Is your dating life only successful if you end up in a relationship? I saw a reel this week (you may have seen it, too) that got me thinking about how we view failures and successes in dating. Let's look at dating experiences with more hope!

In this episode, I'm talking about looking for habits or patterns in your dating life that you can try changing up. Sometimes a little tweak leads to great growth! I'll share a bunch of examples to get you thinking, along with telling you a little story about flirting. You can find the dating history prompts at heymrsaustin.com/datinghistory

In this bonus episode, I'll share how I met my husband and what led me to start being a dating coach. If you'd like more of a written play by play, my dating story is on my blog at heymrsaustin.com/about.

You get to decide how much time and effort to put toward dating and getting married. In this episode, I'll talk about how to figure out what works well for you. You can connect with me on my blog and grab a download of first date tips at heymrsaustin.com/firstdate.

Does a husband just *poof* appear, or is there a process we can break down and understand? Let's talk about that today! You can connect with me on my blog and get a download of first date tips at heymrsaustin.com/firstdate

Feeling stuck in your dating life? Listen in for encouragement to pray, gather a team of supportive friends, and start at square one of dating- meeting new people. Go to heymrsaustin.com/firstdate to get a free download of first date tips.