Teenagers with Attitude by Zordon

If you’ve ever held a job before, chances are good you’ve had a boss — or colleagues, or employees — that you’ve found frustrating. In fact, of the nearly 100-million full-time workers in America, approximately 51 percent of them aren’t engaged or feel no real connection to their jobs. Another 16 percent actively resent their jobs, and make a point to complain about everyday tasks to their coworkers and associates. 

A lot of researchers examine statistics like these from an adversarial standpoint: they wrongly attack people who are unsatisfied with their work as being lazy, uncooperative, or incompetent. At the same time, managers and bosses often get blamed for the quality of the workplace. While that may be true some of the time, it’s certainly not a “smoking gun” contributor to job dissatisfaction. So how do we fix a problem as complex and thorny as unhappiness with one’s career? 

Instead of looking at all the people who are wrong about disliking their jobs, we prefer to focus on what people do enjoy in their careers. Today we’re providing coaching for someone in that latter category — someone who’s entirely fed up with his management position, and wants to look at alternative options. 

Our (completely real, and entirely non-fictional) coach-ee today is Zordon, mentor to the infamous Power Rangers (who are also one hundred percent real). Despite enjoying parts of his role as a teacher and steward against the powers of evil, Zordon’s a bit dissatisfied with the immaturity of his employees. Zordon has written to us asking for coaching support, and we’re going to help him out. 

If you’re currently feeling unhappy with your fellow employees, or your career in general, stick with us — this one’s for you!

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why would I leave this job? By Ron S.

“Stuck between a job and a hard place.” Like it or not, that describes a lot of our career paths. Sometimes we’re put in positions where we’re being shepherded along in a job that doesn’t really feel right for us, but we stick with it anyway. While money, familiarity and stability can make it hard to leave, other factors — such as favored coworkers leaving the office for different jobs, or new management coming down and making life more difficult — can make it feel impossible to stay.

This is a common problem, and it’s one that our latest coach-ee is struggling with. His name is Ron Swanson, and he might just be the most single-mindedly free spirited person we’ve ever coached. The man is an oak tree in human form: he’s solid, built to outlast a storm, and practically impossible to uproot without some serious machinery. Despite that, he’s come to us for help in solving his current crisis.

Ron’s problem is that he’s struggling to see why he should stick with his current dead-end job in parks and recreational development. His motivation to leave? Ron hates all things government, doesn’t enjoy the work he does, and feels like his only important responsibility at work is to block others from getting work done. Not very inspirational, is it?

On top of this, Ron has a dream to do something bigger, more impactful, and meaningful with his life. Preferably, he’d love to own a cabin… and skin an elk while the surrounding wildlife look on in abject horror (his words, not ours).

We’re going to help Ron out today by reading his journal entries to us, and we’ll see if we can give him some proper coaching on how to move forward at this point in his life. Stick with us if you’re facing a similar problem as Mr. Swanson — if you’re currently struggling to decide whether or not to stay in your job or move on for greener pastures, this one’s all about you. 

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duality and The Stories We Tell by Donald D.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “acting like a chameleon”? In short, people call others chameleons when it seems like they’re not acting like themselves. People with chameleon-like traits are those who rapidly shift personalities, dispositions and beliefs to meet the situation at hand.

Sometimes this kind of behavior can be helpful, such as during an important business meeting, or when you’re meeting your girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Other times it can be drastically unhelpful. If you’re constantly taking on your friends’ or coworkers’ personalities just to earn some goodwill with them, they’ll quickly see through your veneer and find you disingenuous. Or maybe they won’t, but you’ll grow increasingly dissatisfied at your inability to be authentic around others.

That’s the position our client today is in. His name’s Donald Draper, and he’s leading a dual life: on the surface, he’s a suave, no-nonsense ad man with a glamorous life and countless great stories to tell. Underneath all of that, however, is a man waiting to be understood.

In today’s episode of Character Coaching, we’re going to help Don through this duality he’s experiencing by leading him through some hands-on coaching. To help him do this, Don’s written us some journal entries about his current situation. Let’s reflect on those now and see if we can’t help Don find some sort of peace.

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Master of None by Ash Ketchum

You want to be the best at something. The very best, even. Maybe even… the best there ever was. But something’s standing in your way. Whether you’re looking to get a promotion at work or become a master guitar player, you just can’t shake the feeling that you’re not cut out for the job. You’re feeling unqualified, dejected and down. 

Today on Character Coaching, we’re tackling the thorny but necessary hurdle of imposter syndrome. What is it? How does it impact us? And how can we overcome it? These are all things that this week’s journal-ee wants to know. His name is Ash Ketchum, and he’s struggling with feelings of inadequacy. While he’s normally a pretty optimistic guy, Ash can’t help but feel that he’s not succeeding as much as he should and that his failures will put distance between himself and his friends.  

Before we jump to conclusions and provide Ash with advice, let’s hear what he’s got to say. What’s got the greatest Pokémon master to ever live feeling down in the dumps?

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long Live the Future King

Have you ever wanted something so badly in life, only to see it go to someone else? Maybe it didn’t even go to someone who deserved it. Maybe the thing that you deserved — a job promotion, a relationship, a raise or something else — went to someone who’s never worked hard for that thing a day in their life. 

It feels like life just comes easy to that person, and that they never have to try to achieve things. Things just happen for them. Like they were born into success. Meanwhile, you’re stuck wondering how you can clinch that goal you’ve been waiting for, even though it’s not coming naturally to you. 

This is the exact position my client is in today. Some of you might be familiar with him: his name is Scar, and his desire to lead and preside over other lions (or, uh, people…) consumes him. He’s constantly thinking of ways he can rule, and always upset that the older, stronger Mufasa was granted leadership in his place. How can Scar be happy despite not being king? Is there a way for him to coexist alongside those whose possessions he covets?

To get help, Scar reached out to The Journal That Talks Back for some coaching advice. Today we’re going to read what Scar wrote to us and respond with some practical advice that can help him leave the doldrums of his current situation and develop a new, more rewarding outlook on life. 

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Best Me I Can Be

If someone asked you who you were, how would you answer that question? Depending on your response, people might perceive you very differently. Would you respond with your name? Your job? Would you talk about your hobbies, passions, fears or dreams?

Despite how difficult it might be to answer “who” we are, our identities are extremely central to our lives. They’re what guide us and keep us together as a singular person with continuous morals, values, beliefs and ultimately, goals. Without them, we’re a little bit like ships lost at sea — careening over each murky wave without having any idea as to where dry land might appear.

That’s how my client today feels. Marge is a (very real and not-from-a-cartoon) housewife who lives alongside her family in the town of Springfield. Her greatest struggle right now is that Marge doesn’t feel like anything but a housewife and a mom. Despite this, there are many ways in which she’d like to be seen differently. 

Maybe you’ve had the same problem as Marge before. If you’ve ever felt completely defined by a single part of your identity before, and it’s gotten under your skin, then you’re going to want to read Marge’s journal entries about wanting more out of life. Together, we’ll coach Marge out of the corner she’s in. And once you’re done reading, you can head on over to The Journal That Talks Back to get this kind of coaching for yourself.

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I Will Become Regional Manager by Dwight Shrute

From time to time, we all struggle with work. After all, no matter what we do, none of us are going to love our jobs all of the time. But what if you’re dealing with a uniquely difficult work problem that just won’t go away? Many of us have probably had horrible bosses, annoying coworkers, boring projects or incompetent new hires to contend with at some point in our careers before. And when that happens, it’s easy to feel like there’s no way to make things better. So the majority of us throw our hands up, shrug, and say: “That’s life.”

Our latest coaching client is in a position much like this. He’s an office worker at a mid-level paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania — Dwight Schrute is his name. Dwight is hardworking, smart, calculated, determined and, above all, tenacious. By all means, he has the skills to quickly and efficiently rise through his company and enter a management position someday. But Dwight has just one problem: he can’t seem to get anything done because his coworker, Jim, keeps getting in his way. More than simply frustrating him, Dwight feels bullied by Jim, who seeks out every opportunity to make Dwight’s life miserable. 

How can Dwight solve his annoying coworker problem? Is there a way for him to move past Jim’s constant heckling so that he can clinch his dreams of becoming the new Regional Manager of his business, Dunder Mifflin? In order to get answers to these questions, Dwight has written to The Journal That Talks Back for coaching support. Let’s look at Dwight’s first journal and start getting some information about the struggles he’s currently facing.   

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Profit or Passion by Nog Ferengi

An oppressive parental figure. A harsh mentor. An expectation from someone above you to take a specific life path — even though you’ve already set your mind on pursuing another. Lots of us can relate to the shared experience of wanting something that conflicts with what our friends, family, parents or colleagues want for us. The question is: what do you do in a situation like this?

Today we’re going to walk you through someone who’s on this path right now. His name is Nog — a fellow on a pretty universal journey, if you will. A young man from a profit-based planet (or, should we say, city), Nog has dreams of joining an organization based on charting, exploring and defending unseen lands. Unfortunately, he’s running up against problems with his uncle, who’s convinced that the best move for Nog is to take a more active role at the family bar in the coming years.

To get clarity around his concerns, Nog’s written a few journals to us in hopes of better navigating his situation. Let’s dig into his first journal entry now and see what we can glean!

To learn more about our coaching, check us out:
www.thejournalthattalksback.com

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Squidward Tentacles

What’s it mean to be “stuck in a rut?” For most of us, it’s got everything to do with losing interest in our daily routines — we go to work at a job we’re only halfway interested in, come back home to a life we’re bored of, contemplate how to spend our next few hours of free time, and then get ready for bed. And the next day? It’s rinse and repeat. We do it all over again. And what do you know? Soon six months, one year, two years, five years pass like this. We’re still doing the same thing, and we’re running out of time to do anything else. 

If you’re stuck in a rut right now, you’re in luck: today, I’ve got a client we’re going to help who’s in this exact same position. His name is Squidward Tentacles, and he’s in a larger rut than anyone I’ve ever met before. Everything he does — from getting up in the morning, to playing music, to working his job — seems to annoy him. It’s gotten to the point where he’s actually feeding off of the negative energy of some of his neighbors, whom he welcomes into his life just for a distraction.

But Squidward doesn’t want to be this way. So, he wrote to us at The Journal That Talks Back  to see if we could help him out of the corner he’s in. I think it’s definitely possible. And I think that if you’re in a rut right now and need a little guidance on how to get out of it, you’re going to want to follow along too — some of these tips might just apply to you!

Alright. Time to dive down to Bikini Bottom and start our coaching journey with the one...the only... Squidward Tentacles.

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The BoJack Horseman Journal...Chapter #1 by BoJack Horseman

What is a legacy? And what does it mean to live purposefully? These are questions all of us struggle with — whatever path our lives take, we want to make sure that what we do has meaning, weight, and value. Sometimes that shows up in how we treat others, other times it shows up in the work we do, and still other times it appears as the activities and hobbies we engage in. Today we’re going to tackle what it means to make an impact in life by coaching a very special guest. He’s an actor, a stand-up comedian, the subject of a bestselling memoir, and a serial TV star… and now, he’s come to us for help. 

Our journal-ee today is the one — the only — Oscar-nominated actor Bojack Horseman, whose titular roles in titles such as Horsin’ Around and award-winning drama Secretariat have helped him garner international fame. Despite his outward success, Bojack reached out to us because he is ultimately unfulfilled in his personal and professional life. Bojack believes every one of his accomplishments so far has yet to contribute to his legacy, and as a result, he feels misunderstood and detached from his values. 

Today we’re going to try and unpack Bojack’s struggles in order to help him have more authentic meaningful day-to-day interactions. Bojack has written to The Journal That Talks Back in order to get clarity around his situation — together, we’re going to read and react to Horseman’s relationships with fame, legacy, identity, and more. Let’s start by reading Bojack’s first journal entry to us, and then we can work to help him move forward with his life in a way that feels purposeful and fulfilling.  

To learn more about the work we do, click here:
www.thejournalthattalksback.com

Support the show

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.