When Frustration Hits Hard

Ever had one of those moments where a “five-minute fix” with technology turns into two hours of hair-pulling? In this solo episode of The Alignment Show, I share a recent run-in with Photoshop that pushed me right to the edge of giving it all up—computers, creative work, even publishing. But behind the exasperation was something deeper: * What do you do when the tools you depend on start draining the joy out of the work? * How do you know if it’s just a temporary frustration—or a sign it’s time to lay something down? * And how do you keep the spark alive in the things you love? I tell a story (with a little humor, a little honesty, and a nod to my AI sidekick “Lizzie”) about nearly tossing my laptop into the lake. More importantly, I invite you to reflect on how you handle those breaking-point moments in your own life. 🎧 Listen in, and then let me know: How do you deal with that kind of frustration? Watch the video on YouTube: You can hear audio versions of this podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon podcasts, and Substack. Catch the show notes at DonnKing.com/96. Sponsors for this episode include: * Val Tews and Butterfly Copywriting (DonnKing.com/Butterfly) * Donn’s books, including info on Creating While Caring: Practical Tips to Keep Creating While Caring for a Loved One, coming out before the end of September (DonnKing.com/Books). Remember that we have moved our home over to our new site at TheAlignmentShow.com. We encourage you to subscribe there! If you get value from the show, consider supporting us through Buy Me a Coffee. You can make a one-time contribution or sign up for regular support. Your support helps me continue helping you and others, and thank you in advance! You can also subscribe on Substack for free OR upgrade to a paid subscription to receive the following bonus material for each episode: * The “Big Takeaway” * A bulleted summary of the episode * Practical tips from the episode * A quote to ponder * A topic index with timestamps Plus, Founding Members receive ebook copies of all my books as well as a sponsorship message on the podcast at least once a month. That’s our way for saying “thanks for the support!” Note: if you accidentally subscribe on ConfidenceCultivators.com (which used to host the show), I will comp you the equivalent subscription on King’s Chronicles, the new home of The Alignment Show. Get full access to The Confidence Cultivator at confidencecultivator.substack.com/subscribe This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kingschronicles.substack.com/subscribe