Episode 188 · Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Getting Divorced Is Tough. Being Divorced Should Be Great.

A proprietary coaching framework for midlife men transforms the trauma of divorce into a blueprint for identity reclamation and high-performance living.

High Value ManDivorce recoveryKubler-RossFab FourSoul cuttingForge GroupMidlife identity
By The Jonnie Jensen Show | 40m listen | 7 chapters
Getting Divorced Is Tough. Being Divorced Should Be Great. cover
The Jonnie Jensen Show · No. 188

About this episode

Johnny Jensen launches the High Value Man Project to redefine post-divorce recovery for modern fathers and midlife men. The program introduces the High Value Man Scorecard, a twelve-question diagnostic tool designed to pinpoint energy leaks across focus, impact, and relationships. Jensen argues that divorce represents the conclusion of a legal contract rather than the termination of a man's identity, provided he adopts a structured framework for rebuilding his life from ground zero.

Men navigate the emotional fallout using the Kubler-Ross model, updated by David Kessler in 2019 to include the critical sixth stage of finding meaning. The High Value Man System for Living utilizes a proprietary coaching framework to establish individual identity independent of career or family roles. Jensen advocates for the Fab Four support network, a group of four trusted advisors including at least one female perspective, to conduct relationship audits and prevent the statistical failure of second marriages. The soul cutting exercise offers a four-step protocol for emotional detachment through gratitude and apology, while the commitment pillar applies Elon Musk’s rocket launch principles to achieve minimum viable output during periods of depression.

Johnny Jensen shares personal insights from twenty-five years of personal development and his own experiences with burnout to guide men through the Forge Group program. The segment highlights the psychological shift from relief to despair as a non-linear cycle that requires consistent small wins to master. Jensen currently limits his elite one-on-one coaching to three clients per month to ensure high-impact results for those transitioning out of long-term partnerships.


CHAPTER 01 / 7 Discussion

Johnny Jensen High Value Man Project Introduction

Johnny Jensen introduces the podcast as a resource for modern dads and midlife men seeking to rebuild their lives after divorce. He emphasizes that divorce should be viewed as the end of a marriage rather than the end of a life, advocating for a "high value man" approach to recovery. The segment promotes the High Value Man Scorecard, a 12-question assessment designed to identify energy leaks in focus, impact, relationships, and energy.

johnny jensen· high value man project· divorce recovery· modern dads· personal development

00:00 Divorce does not end your life. It simply ends your marriage. And too many men let the experience take them down. It's unnecessary. It's almost cliched. And I'm here to tell you today that getting back on your feet in less time with fewer mistakes and more fun is exactly the high value man way to get over your divorce. Roll theme. Welcome to the Johnny Jensen Show, where modern dads discover how to create the true riches, relationships and results they deserve. Get your high value man blueprint and join our community at highvalue manproject.com.

00:42 Let's go. Hello men, welcome back to the Johnny Jensen show. Today's episode, we're going to be looking at breaking down, in fact, the divorce process, like rebuilding yourself in as quick a time as possible after your breakup, after the end of your marriage. There is a number of reasons why men allow this experience to absolutely take them down, to have too great an impact on their life. That's not to say it's easy. That is without doubt an understatement, right? Getting divorced is traumatic. It's a grieving process, which we'll get into.

01:24 It really is about having everything that you cherished taken away from you. But it is something that we can grow through. It is an experience that we can learn from. And if we can learn from things, surely it can have us be a better man, have us be a better dad, you know, out of the process. And that's what I'm going to break down for you today. If you're new to the show, then welcome. My name is Johnny Jensen. I am the founder and the head coach at the High Value Man Project. We are a program and community for modern dads, for midlife men who are looking to create the same success at home as they have at work.

02:04 Because success without happiness really isn't success. And if you have problems at home, if you're struggling in your personal life, if you're not showing up as the man and dad you want to be, then it doesn't matter what you do. It will start to impact. It will start to pull you down. And the world needs men to be thriving. The world needs good, strong, charismatic men who are up to stuff in the world, who have their voice, who are willing and able to make a stand for what matters. No more flaky pushover, burnt out, distraught, stressed, depressed, suicidal.

02:40 No, men, no. And it starts by understanding how our brain and bodies work, how important our connections and relationships are, and critical. My dad would say the most important thing is are you having enough fun? Is the experience of living on this rock, flying through space, a worthy endeavor? Are you tearing the ass out of this life you've been given? And I bloody hope so, which is what we're here to address. Now, divorce is a distinctly challenging time. So I'm not here to make it out that it's less of a thing.

03:22 And it's important to say up front that there might be some aspects of this which you might find quite challenging. There might be some mental health or depression sides of it, which you may choose to go and get some additional support for, or you can come and get that support inside the High Value Man Project. But don't be triggered by this stuff. And if you do, as a result of listening to it, find yourself in a difficult place, reach out to a mate. Reach out to a doctor, to a helpline, to the Samaritans. Like basically, I'll put some phone numbers in the show notes. Don't suffer alone. Okay. But suffering is a choice, right? It is a choice.

04:07 You can go through divorce and come out on the other side a better man for it, or you can allow it to completely take you down. Some of us will have it that we don't like, you don't understand, or it's not like that for me, or she had an affair with my mate, or she did this. Like she's like, she, she, she blame, blame, blame, blame, blame. It doesn't really matter what happened. You know, to some people, it could have been absolutely fine. To you, to allow it to destroy everything? No, we're not going to do that. We're going to make sure that this experience is just one compartment, one slice of your life.

04:45 So yes, whilst it might be difficult, the rest of you, the rest of this machine that you live in, the rest of your responsibilities and commitments in the world, you're able to perform. Perhaps not at your optimum level. I call it your minimum viable output. But what is it that you can do at this time to keep the ship afloat, to keep moving in the right direction? Because one thing I can assure you right up front here and now is that things do get better. It's a bit of a shit thing to be told when you're right in the fiery flames of it all. And indeed, I was told it myself. But what one man can do, any man can do. And if you look around,

05:27 if you watching and listening to this, here I am as one example. But if you look around, if you go out and hunt for it, you go out and have conversations and ask, there'll be plenty of men around you who have been through the experience and come out the other side better for it. By the way, there are plenty of examples who men who've got it terribly wrong and are still suffering and struggling as a result of it. And that is not necessary. By way of a little segue, a parallel topic, but is something of absolute power and value to you. The High Value Man Scorecard is an incredible way for you to tune in to where you're at and what you're up to in yourself and in your life.

06:08 It will ask you questions about the four key areas. Focus, that's you. Impact, that's your work and money. Relationships, not just the ones at home, but the key relationships, your friends and family, the people around you in your life. And finally, the amount of energy, the fun, adventure, and peace you're having. You answer the 12 questions. It takes just a couple of minutes. You get a fully personalized response back to identify where you're leaking your energy, connection and joy so that you can do something about it, so that you can start to create the high value man life that you deserve. So go to highvalumanproject.com forward slash score and you can take the scorecard there.

CHAPTER 02 / 7 Discussion

Six Stages of Grieving and the Kubler-Ross Process

The emotional turbulence of divorce is framed through the six stages of grieving, utilizing the Kubler-Ross model updated by David Kessler in 2019. These stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, and meaning—are described as a non-linear cycle that men must navigate to find clarity. Understanding these psychological shifts helps men realize that fluctuating emotions, from relief to despair, are a natural part of the recovery process.

kubler-ross· david kessler· grieving process· denial· depression· acceptance

06:48 Like I said, you get a fully personalized response. It's all geared around the high value man system for living, my proprietary coaching framework and structure. So that, and you get like a fully personalized response based on your answers. So highvalue manproject.com forward slash score. Back into divorce. You know, getting divorced is shit. Being divorced is great. I love that line. I don't know where I heard it first, but probably on some stupid meme somewhere before. But it really is true. You know, most people's relationships, they don't just end overnight. It's not like one catastrophic thing that happens. And you might be telling yourself it's that.

07:33 Like if someone had an affair and they dropped it on you and you had no idea. But seriously, whilst I can't guarantee that some of you haven't been totally side-blinded, side-blinded, is that the word broadsided, blindsided by it. If you are 100% honest, if you take 100% responsibility for the situation, you will be able to see areas or aspects of the relationship that had been allowed to lose their energy, lose their spark. And that's what I'm talking about, responsibility. It takes a lot to keep a relationship going. And that's for the ones that work. For other relationships, you may have found yourself accidentally married to the wrong person.

08:18 Personally speaking, that was me. No slight on the woman I married. We were very in love and she was awesome. But the experience of being married to each other wasn't great, compatible in many ways. And so when the relationship naturally comes to an end, it can and it should be a relief. Not that you aren't allowed to grieve for the loss. Not that it's easy to be separated for your kids or for a break up the family home or the impact across your finances or anything else that might happen. But being with the person who or being with a person that you are not compatible with is not a good move.

09:03 You wouldn't put on a pair of shoes that were completely the wrong size and try and walk around in them for a day, let alone 20 years. And I could come up with lots of other metaphors like that. Some of them funny, some of them more painfully obvious. But the grieving process is a real thing. You know, it's a chemical response inside of our body that messes with us, quite frankly. You know, we're separated from the people that we love most. There's the habit and the routine of our home and our security and our comfort and our, you know, and our normality. So, and then there's the expectation, the commitment, the promise. Maybe that's deeply tuned into your values, either your personal values or perhaps they're your religious values.

09:48 So getting divorced can totally compromise every aspect of. of your value system and the life that you've come to love. And on top of that, it normally comes at the end of a particularly stressed and strained period of time. Back to that point about very few relationships happen with a click of the fingers overnight. They come at the end of a lot of suffering and struggle and pain and stress and emotional drama, arguments, sleeping on the couch or getting into a lonely bed you share with someone. Like it's painful. It's horrible.

10:28 And nobody should have to put up with that. You wouldn't openly choose and go and live in a crappy jail with scary people who threatened you. And like, you wouldn't do it. But yet we stay because we said, I do, and we'll till death do us part. No. But the point about the grieving process is to lose all those things, it sends our body into a crazy like turbulence, a thunderstorm. I can't forget, I can't get my words out today. Like a tornado. It literally picks everything up, shakes it all around, and then throws it back on the floor.

11:09 The grieving cycle has got six stages. I need to just bring this up. Show me the six grieving stages. I always get these round the wrong way. And they're not actually round the wrong way. They're spoken as as a cycle, but they can come up in any random order as you go through the reasoning part of it. As you then go into, it's just going to come up here for me now, but you can go into upset, you can go into anger, you can go into elation or even hysteria as you, but you can see what happens. One minute you're completely down and thinking you've lost everything. Another minute you can flip into, oh, what a relief.

11:51 I'm glad that I'm free of that and I'm moving forward. So don't think, don't tell yourself as you're getting through this peer they come, right? All six. Denial. This isn't really happening or minimizing how much it hurts. Anger at her, at a situation, at yourself, or how unfair it feels. Bargaining. What if I'd done X differently? Like a continuous loop, like going over and over and replaying scenarios and thinking, oh, I should have said this or I should have done that or like trying to negotiate a way back. That's crazy. Depression, the flat, heavy, low energy stretch once the reality actually lands.

12:34 Like, how am I ever going to get my life back in order? And then into acceptance, not being okay with what happened, but just no longer resisting it or fighting those negative feelings. And then into meaning, not meaning in the loss itself. Like there isn't any meaning. But in the me, like it doesn't mean anything about you. Like there's not like you're this because your relationship is over. But the meaning is in what it taught you. Like if this was supposed to happen for a reason, what have I got from it? Who has it allowed you to become?

13:10 How can you use that experience from here? And the interesting thing about the six steps of grieving, and this is called, this is the Kubla-Ross process, which David Kles Kessler added a sixth to in 2019. But I first came face to face with this process as I was rebuilding myself, as I was coming to terms with what I was going through. And unfortunately, I didn't come face to face with this at the beginning of the process. I came with it some years down the line. So in hindsight, I was able to look back and see it for what it was. By that point, of course, I was at acceptance and meaning.

13:49 But if I'd known this when I was in it, it would have helped me understand that some days I could have woken up angry and distraught. And other days I could have woken up really relieved and excited. And in the middle of those days, you can drift into denial or depression simply by, you know, love songs on the radio or you see something on TV that reminds you and you just drift suddenly back into that place. But understand that that is pretty much your mind and heart playing tricks on you. Because the reality is, the reality is that you probably had run, that the relationship had probably run its course.

CHAPTER 03 / 7 Discussion

High Value Man System for Living and Identity

A proprietary coaching framework called the High Value Man System for Living is introduced, built on 25 years of personal development and the host's experiences with burnout and loss. The first pillar, clarity, focuses on establishing a strong individual identity independent of a spouse, career, or children. This stage encourages men to reclaim their passions and values to avoid the common pitfall of losing oneself within a long-term relationship.

clarity· identity· coaching framework· personal development· self-awareness

14:31 You weren't getting on and you are better off without them. You will be able to perform better in work. You will be a better dad. You will be able to enjoy your social life and the things that you like doing true to yourself, no longer compromising. So how do we get access to that? Now, no surprise. surprise if you listen to the podcast regularly that we get access to that through the high value man system for living. This is literally our coaching framework that we operate from. And I created this off of the back of two things. One is 25 years of personal development across all manner of books and courses and programs and organizations.

15:12 And then the second part was living the experience, living the experience of wrestling with financial troubles, wrestling with marriage problems, wrestling with my brother's suicide, wrestling with my own burnout and breakdown, and then hitting rock bottom and putting myself back together. The clarity, courage and commitment that that took, doing it and then looking at it and realizing anyone could do this, what one man can do, any man can do, is the power of the High Value Man project. So clarity, inside of clarity is you. It's your clear picture of life.

15:52 It's the man that you naturally are on your own, no compromises. The values, your commitments, your strengths, your passions, even your weaknesses. When we're in a relationship, at the best of times, we make a lot of compromises. We let go of a few things and we pick up some of hers and we adjust this kind of couples way of looking at it. Now, I'm not sure that those things are necessarily that healthy. They come as a natural byproduct of being in a long-term relationship. But for in a healthy relationship, I advocate and encourage the men I work with to maintain this strong identity, to be really clear about who you are and what you want, because a healthy relationship thrives off of those things.

16:36 And a damaged relationship is normally as a result of a man in particular, but quite possibly a woman as well. A lot of women's coaches I know, a lot of female programs, they have similar elements around identity, around following your passions, but clarity about who you are and what you want, what you stand for. Because at ground zero, when you've had everything else stripped away, it is really all we've got. And that's why it's such an important part of the message. Because even outside of these tough times, we don't want our identity to be our work or to be her or the marriage or the kids or our identity should be us.

17:20 So if any of those creak or get damaged, we're still able to show up. We're still strong and present and charismatic, confident. That's the absolute vital elements, the vital element of clarity that so many men are missing. And it's why so many men feel shit. It's possible that your marriage breakdown could even been as a result of you giving up who you were and what you were passionate about, losing the spark for life, but losing the spark in yourself, the spark that other people can count on. So in the breakup, as you're rebuilding yourself, get truly clear and excited for what it is that's coming next in the midst of nothing, which might be the case.

18:07 Or you could have just have had a shitload to start with and now you've got half of it. Well, half of it's better than nothing. The freedom that you can and should have outside of that relationship is powerful. It's infinite even. And then declaring this, getting the people around you, being confident enough to start talking about it, to share it, to be energized about what's going on, to be energized about where you're moving towards. You don't have to have it in order to feel excited about it. And in fact, that's many ways a failing of men in these situations is that we think, oh, I can't be happy until I've got this, this and this.

18:48 But in fact, that's the complete opposite way of how it should be. You bring the being in order to create the thing that you want. So your confidence, your energy, your drive, your positivity, your joy, your peace, you can bring those as ways of being to your everyday life when you've got nothing or when you're still rebuilding. If, on the other hand, who you're being is angry and frustrated and desperate and depressed and lonely and resentful, then your being isn't that great. It's not nice to be around. You're creating an experience because other people are reflecting that back onto you.

19:32 You're creating an experience of life is shit because of this thing that's happened. You literally lock yourself into the room of despair based on your... version of events, based on how you think you should feel as a result of this. So you're being, you link it to your clear vision of what you're creating. And that's where you find your energy and drive for it. So then next up is courage. Courage in terms of the breakup has got a number of different shades to it. We touched on one of them about responsibility, having the courage to look at what you can be responsible for. Did the relationship lose its spark? Were you available? Did you overcommit to work?

CHAPTER 04 / 7 Discussion

Fab Four Support Group and Relationship Audits

The concept of the "Fab Four" is presented as a survival mechanism involving four trusted individuals who provide accountability and diverse perspectives during a breakup. This support network is essential for conducting a self-audit of past behaviors to prevent repeating mistakes in future relationships, noting that second marriages often have higher failure rates. The group should ideally include people with shared experiences and at least one female perspective to offer balanced advice.

fab four· mentorship· accountability· second marriages· support network

20:17 What was it like to be in a relationship with you? That kind of awareness and self-audit is vital in order for you to learn about what it's going to take to create a healthy relationship next time. The stats around second marriages failing are worse than first marriages. And that's because a lot of men take their upset and grief on top of the poor behavior that helped to ruin the first marriage into the second one. So it's no surprise the second one doesn't stand a chance. But it starts with this like, oh yeah, we're going to be happy. We're going to create this. It's going to be exciting. You've got the euphoria of finding someone new and starting afresh.

20:57 But then as soon as that energy, you know, like a rocket, like a booster rocket, as soon as the fuel from that booster rocket runs out, you're just left with the garbage that you were running the previous show on. That's crazy, right? So the courage is seeing that. Got to have that level of self-awareness. And it is possible that finding that, seeing it, it's going to have to be something that other people spot. And this falls into an essential trick, a hack, a survival mechanism that I call the Fab Four.

21:36 If you're going through any difficult time, you know, and it kind of leans into the idea of having good mentors around you, right? Your masterclass, but particularly around divorce and breakup, having your Fab Four is critical. And you want it to be four people, four people who've got your back, ideally four people who have some experience of this situation as well, people that know you really well. It's possible, particularly around divorce, that one of those might be a woman. So you're getting a female perspective on it. When you create your fab four, you let them know this is who you are. I'm asking you guys to support me in this. Don't worry, you're not the only one. I'd like it to be you because.

22:20 So you put it out there like an invitation, not as a pressure, but just, can you have my back in this regard? Mine was my brother, Colin, Rob, and Errol. And female, who was my female one? I think there was a couple actually. Couple of people. Oh, yeah, I could think of their names. I'm just not going to say them live on here. Because sometimes you're going to be crying. Sometimes you're going to be needy, like the old airplane movie. Not everyone's going to want to listen to your story over and over again. And so the Fab Four will hold you to account in that regard and set you straight. So yeah, they are your mentors. They're your advisors. They're your backup, your support group.

CHAPTER 05 / 7 Discussion

Soul Cutting Exercise for Emotional Detachment

The "soul cutting" or "cutting soul ties" exercise is detailed as a proactive method to emotionally detach from an ex-partner through four specific steps: calling out the person, expressing gratitude, offering an apology, and letting go. This process is designed to clear toxic energy and create space for future happiness and effective co-parenting. The host shares that performing this declaration to oneself can lead to unexpected positive shifts in career and personal life.

soul cutting· emotional ties· gratitude· co-parenting· closure

23:04 And with that in place around courage comes another aspect of letting go. Actually letting go of your ex. And there's an incredible exercise which is available inside the high value man base camp. If you go to highvalue manproject.com forward slash group, that will let you into the free level, which we call base camp of our community. And the soul cutting exercise is in there as a tool. Or you can just message me, comment on the any, just send me a message, DM me, comment, whatever. I'll give you the soul cutting or the cutting soul ties exercise.

23:42 Letting that person go, but not letting them go in a screw you kind of way, but truly acknowledging them, cherishing them. Like I said about my ex, when we got together, it was awesome. When we walked down the aisle, the whole kind of best day of my life cliché, it was absolutely phenomenal. A church full of the people I loved, beautiful ceremony, an incredible party afterwards, just an epic, epic occasion. Who am I to dog all over that simply because it didn't work out all right? And when you cut soul ties, it's about this emotional connection, this deep, deep, like the deepest bond possible that you've created with someone, often through sex or for having children, but it can be through a business connection, like a, like a, you know, some people say when you've been in a band together, like

24:37 that level of intermediary. intermeshing, intertwining of two people's lives, such that when you go your separate ways, you have to consciously break those ties. So when it is your ex, the sort of the four steps of the of the process are, number one, calling them out, like who's this for? You're going to let them know this is a soul-cutting exercise. By the way, it does have some religious background. Okay, that's where I first heard about this. But then when I researched it, it cuts across lots of different cultures.

25:13 And even if you don't have any kind of faith, it makes sense. It makes sense that you proactively declare what you had, why you enjoyed it, what you're letting go of, and what this means for the future, which is basically the steps of it. And you do this out of generosity. Because if every time you think of that person, you've got some sort of heartache or anger or whatever the feeling might be, you want to come from it, ideally from just a pleasant thought or possibly even better from nothing. Just a, that was fun whilst it lasted. So yeah, we're going to call out who it's for.

25:55 Then the gratitude. Like, what, what did you really get out of it? What was really wonderful about your experience and time with that person? What about the children that were created? What about like, however hard you have to look, there's going to be some fun times. Otherwise, you really were an idiot for getting together with them. Then next up is the apology. If you can see anything inside of the relationship that you need to acknowledge, that you need to apologize for and need, as in you are deciding that you need to, then put that out there. Had the arsehole with you for this many years or I shouted at you during our relationship or I let things deteriorate to this level. You're not necessarily going to tell them. They don't have to know anything about this soul cutting exercise.

26:39 It's about a declaration to yourself. And then comes the letting go, like acknowledging what this creates the space for in the future. I want you to be happy. I want you to find someone who honors and cherishes you. I want us to co-parent effectively. I want us to be able to deal with difficult times without descending into arguments again. Why? Because I see our future like this. I see our children thriving. This is a new chapter. I see us at their wedding having a drink together and being happy about it. That might sound bonkers and insane. And she might be the most vicious asshole in the world, but it doesn't mean that you have to buy into that or into engage in it.

27:23 Even if it's ridiculous to even think that the possibility of you getting on is possible, it's a way healthier, way better feeling to hang on to than the screw you. It doesn't have a hold over you anymore. And that's why the soul cutting exercise is so powerful and so vital. I've seen miracles come of this. And people go, oh, miracles, what like walk on water type miracles? Do you know? I've seen some bonkers things. I've seen people, people I work with, as a result of giving them this exercise, have promotions in work of meet someone and fall in love, of some kind of debt or money problem or thing that was hanging over them get removed, get magicked

28:09 away. And I believe it's because of the energy and the toxicity and the confused emotions that go around a breakup, a relationship that's ended that we haven't fully let go of. So you have to let it go, which then brings us into the third and final point. And by the way, there's so many more elements to all of this, okay? But we're wrapping it into a 40-minute podcast here. So you have to understand that to get through a divorce in less time with fewer mistakes and more fun is all of these things.

CHAPTER 06 / 7 Discussion

Commitment Pillar and Minimum Viable Output

The final pillar of the recovery system, commitment, involves defining a "best version" of oneself and identifying the steps needed to bridge the gap from "ground zero." Using Elon Musk's rocket launches as a metaphor, the discussion highlights the importance of "minimum viable output" when a man is at his lowest point. Success is framed as a result of consistent small wins, mastering mindset, and choosing better behaviors to ensure the divorce experience builds rather than breaks the individual.

commitment· elon musk· goal setting· mindset· mental health

28:46 And most importantly, it's your outlook and attitude on it. Because more stuff's going to happen, things that might even be a surprise. But if you're coming into it with this level of peace, this level of new energy and excitement for your future, then there's really nothing about the breakup that will derail you and pull you back down that hole. Which brings us to commitment. What does the best version of you look like? Let this be your defining moment, like the reboot. It is possibly true that as a result of all that's happened, you are at ground zero. This is literally the start line of the next chapter.

29:31 Whatever metaphor works for you, it shouldn't. shouldn't be glorious and perfect. It shouldn't be predefined. You know, you watch Elon's biggest, most powerful rocket get ready to take off and fly into space. But how many other hundreds, and some of them we've actually seen on TV, right, have exploded virtually before they've even left the launch pad. It's okay that you're at day one, the launch pad. But the commitment is recognizing what it's going to take. You can't jump to, we're going to go to Mars and nothing else is going to matter.

30:13 No, it's like, what are the steps that it's going to take? What is at stake if you don't do it? Getting really clear about that. Like as a result of a breakup, like what's at stake if you don't turn your life around, if you don't create something new and brilliant or your happiness for starters, what's it going to be like to live like this, broken and miserable? It's going to be awful. Probably going to end up topping yourself. What's that going to be like for your kids to have a dad who's completely burnt out, miserable, run down, not fun to be around? Well, like it or not, kids only have a degree of tolerance for that before they go, oh, bollocks to this.

30:53 I'm just going to get on my own life. A self-fulfilling prophecy where you get to be right that everybody leaves you or you don't understand. It's not fair. No, if you're not fun to be around, no one's going to want to be around you. So then you have a look at what the gap is. The gap between where I am now and where I want to get to. And what's it going to take to fill that gap? Well, first of all, what's it going to be like at that end destination? This draws to a degree on clarity, but what does it look like? What have I got around me?

31:30 Who's there with me? What's it taken to get there? You actually deconstruct the picture and then start to backfill. Like, again, if we go with the Elon and the Mars thing, like, what did it take to build that rocket? What kind of air systems? What kind of fuel systems? What kind of computer navigation systems? What, like, which, what, what were the pieces that had to come together in order for this thing to look like it is over here? Because that's the gap. You're filling in the stepping stones. Who's done it before? Now, maybe this is the Fab Four. Yeah, I spoke about. How did they get through this? What did they put in place? Having a look yourself, like, are you fit? Are you healthy? Are you sleeping right? Is your bed good?

32:13 Have you got a nice place to live? No, I haven't got a nice place to live, Johnny. We just broke up. You know, that's okay. But how can you piece it together? Can you give the crappy small flat a lick of paint? Can you have friends around so you fill the empty space with laughter and joy? Like things don't have to be perfect to be good. In fact, things don't have to be perfect to be great. You get to declare that because when that energy and momentum is put in place, you start to move forward. It's the consistent compound leverage of lots of small wins taking you towards the result that you want to get to.

32:51 Getting really clear about what it is that you're up to, putting the people around you, identifying what's at stake if you don't have it, seeing what the outcome looks like and what you'll have with it, and then deconstructing it and starting to backfill those steps. And taking you back to the point I made at the beginning about minimum viable output, it's okay to be on your ass right now, but it is what's it going to take step by step, piece by piece? Letting the people around you know, whether it's a business partner or a manager or whatever your work life looks like, let them know that you're screwed right now.

33:31 But also reassure them that you're the kind of man that is up to stuff, that you're working on this, you're acknowledging it. You can expect me to be getting better and checking in with you and letting you know how it's going to go. What is it that you need for me, from me, in order for this all to be okay right now? That's being responsible for the situation. And then you can see what else is on the back of it. Okay, what do you need? Well, I'm going to need to be fit and healthy. I'm going to need to have some money. I'm going to need to make sure I've got time with my kids. When my kids aren't here, I'm going to need to make sure I'm busy so I'm not miserable. Who are the friends you haven't seen? What are the hobbies and interests that you like doing? What's something new that you could pick up that would fill a hole?

34:13 I joined a singing choir for nearly a year. It was bloody brilliant. And then one day I realized it's kind of not as much fun as it was or it was not as doing as much for me as it was when I first started. And so I knocked it on the head. My commitment to my ex is that. that we get along. What that's done for me is it's given me freedom to find new ways of managing her comments to me and the way things can be challenging sometimes. I'm not reactive to it. I'm at peace with it when I choose to be. I'm in control of myself. So you see, it's about being the master.

34:53 about being the captain of the ship, about being in control of yourself. That fundamentally is the definition of commitment. And then you do the reps. You can't get impatient. You can't be upset about things not being the way that they were. You just have to stand in faith. Faith that you at your best, you in a forward-moving momentum are going to create the results that you desire. And how do we know this? Because if you're like most men at this moment in time, you will have so many reference points of succeeding in your life. The fact that you can walk and talk and wipe your own ass is a win.

35:35 The fact that you have children, you've started a business or you've even got a job. You can drive a car. You passed your exams. You get paid. You're alive at whatever age you are at. These are all wins. It's just that in this crazy world and this existence, in this machine that we live in, we somehow focus on the good, the tough stuff, the broken things, the hard times. And if you're not careful, use them as justification of, oh, this is the way it is. See, I told you. No, it's absolute bollocks. Because it's not this positive, like, oh, cross our legs and fold our hands together and think positive stuff and it's all going to work out.

36:17 It's an element of that in mastering our mindset. And then it's the behaviors, like our way of being, and then the actions in place behind it that take us towards the results. So when I say getting over your divorce in less time with fewer problems or fewer mistakes and more fun, that is literally the recipe. Less time. That is managing yourself, your wellness and everything we've talked about there, what you're reading, what you're watching, what you're eating. Fewer mistakes. Who are you learning from? What people have you put around you? What clangers are you dropping in work or when you've got the kids or you know things like that obvious stuff?

36:58 And then more fun literally does what it says in the tin. It's almost impossible to be upset and angry whilst laughing. So make sure you've got plans to look forward to and memories to look back on. Bring the joy. Divorce is a lived experience. You can let it break you or you can let it make you. Another kind of cheesy cliche around that is don't get bitter, get better. Take it on the chin. Let it be something that you've learned from. Because what got you here today, you had to go through in order to become the man you are tomorrow.

CHAPTER 07 / 7 Discussion

Forge Group Program and Show Outro

Johnny Jensen concludes the episode by detailing the Forge Group program, formerly known as Accelerate, which offers dedicated rebuild sessions for men post-divorce. He invites listeners to take the High Value Man Scorecard and mentions his elite one-on-one coaching availability, limited to three clients per month. The show ends with a call for listener reviews and a reminder to subscribe to the High Value Man Project community.

forge group· elite coaching· high value man scorecard· johnny jensen· podcast review

37:41 And in equal terms, the knowledge that got you here today won't be enough for where you want to get to. So you had to learn this and you're going to go out and find some more to create this next level. Life is a leveling up exercise. That is the high value man principle. Creating the life you deserve, being the man and dad you're meant to be. The rebuild is like a layer around the high value man system for living. We run, if you're in the group program, I run dedicated rebuild sessions for men that are going through or rebuilding after a breakup.

38:20 And the reason for that is that what we need as men to thrive isn't different, whether we're burnt out, whether our marriage is struggling or whether we're rebuilding after divorce. The system for creating this strong, confident, present, charismatic father and man is the same. But if you are going through the divorce, if you are rebuilding after the breakup, then there's certain conversations, certain levels of awareness that will accelerate you through that. You're not on your own. You're not the first guy. And you can get over this. In fact, you can be better for it. Getting divorced is shit.

39:00 Being divorced should be great. Please like and share this podcast with as many other men in your life, right? Anyone who's in this moment, this divorce moment, get this shared with them. I hope it has landed well. I hope I've shared some of my personal experiences and I hope I've shared with you some of the theories and methodologies that give you access to that. Go and get your high value man score because... because not only will it highlight for you where you're winning and where you're leaking your energy, connection and joy, but it'll also become your pathway into either the Forge Group program, was called Accelerate, we've now renamed it Forge, or into

39:42 Elite One-on-one. I take on three Elite guys per month maximum, and I would love you to be one of them. Highvaluemanproject.com/score score, that will get you in there. It's free, it takes a couple of minutes, and it's bloody brilliant. And finally, once you've liked and shared this, be sure to give me a little review. I need more reviews. I keep asking, and I'm going to have to get more tactical about it or buy them, which of course has no integrity, is absolutely uncouth. And I'm not about to do that, but I would love it nonetheless. Thank you for listening. It's been an absolute pleasure, as always, to be here for you. I'll see you next week. Let's go.

40:23 Thanks for tuning in to the Johnny Jensen show. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow dads. Creating the life you deserve starts with you. Get your high value man blueprint and join our community of motivated modern dads at highvalumanproject.com. Let's go.