Hot Seat Friday: Work-Life Balance is futile; pursue "Strategic Imbalance" that aligns with your values and goals

If you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed, and if it feels like all the effort you've been putting in this year is not leading to the results you want, then I invite you to learn a little bit more about this thing called the plateau of latent potential, a concept from James Clear's Atomic Habits that I talk a whole lot more in today's Hot Seat with one of the students in the Arnold Academy, Rob Tovey.After that, Rob and I shift gears to discuss how he can prioritize and clarify what his goals are for 2026, defining specifically what is that scary goal in work, and in life. We also explore how to prioritize attention from everything he could be doing to the things he should actually focus on.Want to learn more about working with me and having your own Hot Seat session?→ Click here to learn more about The Arnold Academy coaching & mentorship programSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

What if the reason you feel stuck, burned out, or off course isn’t a lack of effort but the fact that you’ve been blindly walking in circles, absolutely convinced you were moving straight ahead?Using the science of walking blindfolded as a metaphor for modern life, this episode "You are not lost. You are just asking the wrong question." unpacks how linear career paths, industrial-era education, and the question “WHAT do you want to be when you grow up?” train us to chase the wrong goalposts, confuse motion with progress, and sacrifice our creative soul. We explore why life is cyclical rather than linear, how Mark Manson’s Four Stages of Life better reflect the messy reality of growth, why transitions between stages suck ass, and how reframing the question from WHAT you do to WHO you want to become can help you stop walking in circles and start moving toward work and life that actually matter.I’m curious...WHO do you want to be when you grow up?→ let me know here in the commentsIf you enjoyed this article and you don't want to miss my future essays, my actionable insights, and my soapbox rants about navigating the world as analog humans in today's digital hellscape, make sure to subscribe at zackarnold.com/substack.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

In today’s Hot Seat conversation, Julie and I dive deep into what it really feels like when your creativity and cognitive clarity start slipping through your fingers. I talk through the hidden impact of dopamine-driven distraction, and we explore how removing social media can expose just how out of shape our brains have become. Together we dig into boredom as a skill, cognitive fitness as training, and the fears that surface when you step into collaboration and authenticity. If you’ve ever felt foggy, scattered, or disconnected from your creativity… this is the episode you need.Want to learn more about working with me and having your own Hot Seat session?→ Click here to learn more about The Arnold Academy coaching & mentorship programSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

This mini-episode taken from my latest article in the Digital Essentialism Series on Substack pulls back the curtain on the likes, comments, and compulsive urge to reach for your damn phone 205 times a day, all to uncover a deeper question: What might you be avoiding with your attention? From digital essentialism to deep work rituals, from messy garages to meaning, we dig into why we avoid the blank page, why we panic when life pauses, and why being “CrAAAAAAAAAAzy busy!!!!!” keeps us from confronting purpose, values, and meaningful goals. If you can only call something a distraction when you know what it’s distracting you from — do you really know?If you enjoyed this article and you don't want to miss my future essays, my actionable insights, and my soapbox rants about navigating the world as analog humans in today's digital hellscape, make sure to subscribe at zackarnold.com/substack.wdqSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

In today’s Hot Seat, I’m talking with Joe Dobson, who’s feeling stuck trying to balance earning paychecks with actually building his career. He’s been organizing his time and putting in the work, but still feels unclear about direction and how to network strategically. In this conversation, I guide him through accepting that you’ll never get it all done — but you can choose what truly matters. Together, we explore how to stop chasing work-life balance and instead practice deliberate, strategic imbalance that aligns with your goals and values.Want to learn more about working with me and having your own Hot Seat session?→ Click here to learn more about The Arnold Academy coaching & mentorship programSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

In today’s Hot Seat with one of the students in the Arnold Academy, Brandon Holmes, we dig deep and talk about some really existential stuff, moving far beyond just setting goals to explore the vision for the next phase of work and life. As we unpack his mind maps and scattered intentions, the real reason behind his uncertainty becomes clear. This reframing will help you shift your mindset so you can finally make progress on what you want to accomplish.Want to learn more about working with me and having your own Hot Seat session?→ Click here to learn more about The Arnold Academy coaching & mentorship programSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

In this mini-episode, I unpack my 2198-word “old man yells at cloud” rant about how algorithms are the new cigarettes, diving into the sighs, huzzahs, and head scratches it sparked while exploring our global dilemma of knowing social media is engineered to farm our attention and fuel tribalism, rage, envy, jealousy, shame, inadequacy, and over-consumption, yet still relying on it for community, connection, and “what’s the haps,” leading into my mission for part two of this series where I break down how I’m reshaping my relationship with technology as a content consumer through my rules, boundaries, and guardrails rooted in digital essentialism so I can extract genuine value without this toxic ecosystem costing me my soul.If you enjoyed this article and you don't want to miss my future essays, my actionable insights, and my soapbox rants about navigating the world as analog humans in today's digital hellscape, make sure to subscribe at zackarnold.com/substack.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

In today's conversation with my longtime student and even a former team member, Julie Fahrbach, we talk all about her relationship with social media and it's very complicated, both as a content consumer and a content creator. This conversation was born from my recent article Algorithms are the new cigarettes. Julie opens up about her current crossroads, asking whether she can throw social media in the trash can and still grow her business, and what it really means to build sustainably without getting pulled back into the feed.Want to learn more about working with me and having your own Hot Seat session?→ Click here to learn more about The Arnold Academy coaching & mentorship programSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

Hey, there, it's Zack. Remember me? Well, if you've been a long time listener and follower of The Zack Arnold Podcast, of my newsletter, or even a member of The Arnold Academy, you've probably been wondering the last couple of months, what in the world is going on and where is the podcast?Well, the shorter answer is, I have a much longer answer to that question that I'm going to be explaining in my upcoming article series on Substack, and today is going to be the first of those articles, and this is going to be a mini episode that is going to be the reading of my latest article that is titled, Algorithms are the new cigarettes. Is it possible to quit cold turkey? Now if you enjoyed this article and you don't want to miss my future essays, my actionable insights, and frankly, my soapbox rants about navigating the world as analog humans in today's digital hellscape, make sure to subscribe at zackarnold.com/substack.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

What do you do when the life and career you’ve built no longer work for you?In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Holtzman, a former reality TV editor turned therapist, now life coach, who helps creatives and entrepreneurs release imposter syndrome and step into the next chapter of their careers. Together we share our own pivots and life quakes, and what it really takes to keep moving one step at a time. If you’re frozen in fear, stuck in the messy middle, or wishing life could go back to “normal,” this episode offers comfort, clarity, and the reminder you don’t have to do it alone.Key TakeawaysDiscern where your cheese has moved. The story of chasing cheese is a reminder that the old path may no longer serve you.Embrace pivots as part of the path. Change can feel like failure, but it is often the exact step toward alignment and renewal.Start with the smallest silly step. Action leads to motivation, not the other way around. Even tiny wins unlock momentum.Episode HighlightsParallel pivots that sparked a reunion and deeper conversationLife in the before times versus surviving the after timesUnlocking journaling as a hidden practice of reflectionReimagine identity by shifting from one brand to the nextLearn how to stop chasing the wrong cheese and pivot with courageFear, scarcity, and the power of “you’re not alone right now”Face fear in your pivot and discover what opens on the other sideFind inspiration in real stories of clients choosing courage in chaosHow to build momentum with small silly steps that spark motivationCalm fear and create clarity through journaling dialoguesRecommended Next EpisodeNavigating the Messy Middle of a Career Pivot | with Sandy Zimmerman🎧 Listen on [Apple Podcast] [Spotify] [Amazon Music]Useful ResourcesWho Moved My CheesePivot with PurposeWant to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeGuest BioAnna Holtzman is a therapist-turned-coach who helps sensitive creatives and entrepreneurs move through the fear of visibility and finally launch the work that feels most true to them. After 15 years in TV and publishing—and many false starts on her own creative dreams—burnout and chronic pain led her to the nervous system tools that helped her unblock her voice and show up for the work she loves. Now she helps others do the same: melt through imposter syndrome, bring their creative visions to life, and share them boldly. She lives in Queens, NY with her husband, stepdaughter, and three orange cats, and she hosts the podcast How to Trust Yourself.Anna’s Website, Instagram, Email, Podcast, WorkshopShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschProduced by: Debby GerminoPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas CepedaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content