NarrativeOS: A Twelve-Week Deep Dive Into Your Mental Operating System

Course Benefits

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Clarity of Vision and Goals

The Untangled Narrative Process can help you articulate and refine your personal and professional goals, aligning your decisions with your long-term vision and purpose.

Improved Decision-Making

By refining your thought processes, the Untangled Narrative Process allows you to make more informed and confident decisions, reducing uncertainty and increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes.

Increased Self-Awareness

The Untangled Narrative Process fosters a deeper understanding of your own thought patterns, biases, and values, which can lead to more authentic and aligned decision-making.

Enhanced Creativity and Innovation

By breaking free from limiting thought patterns, the Untangled Narrative Process can unlock your creative potential and encourage innovative thinking in both personal and professional contexts.

Stronger Leadership Skills

For those in leadership roles, the Untangled Narrative Process can enhance your ability to inspire and guide others, make strategic decisions, and create a positive organizational culture.

Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills

The Untangled Narrative Process can help you develop a more strategic and analytical mindset, enabling you to tackle challenges more effectively and find innovative solutions.

Enhanced Productivity and Efficiency

With clearer thinking and better decision-making, the Untangled Narrative Process helps you prioritize tasks more effectively, streamline workflows, and achieve goals more efficiently.

Greater Emotional Intelligence

Developing a thoughtful approach to decision-making through the Untangled Narrative Process involves understanding and managing emotions, leading to improved relationships, enhanced communication, and significant personal growth.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Improved decision-making processes through the Untangled Narrative Process can alleviate the stress and anxiety that often accompany uncertainty and difficult choices, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Resilience and Adaptability

The Untangled Narrative Process helps you build mental resilience and adaptability, enabling you to navigate setbacks and changes with greater ease, confidence, and a positive mindset.

Enhanced Relationship Building

The Untangled Narrative Process can improve interpersonal relationships by fostering better communication, understanding, and empathy.

Strategic Thinking Development

Engaging with the process can cultivate a long-term strategic mindset, helping individuals and organizations plan and execute their visions more effectively.

Greater Accountability

By clarifying goals and decision-making processes, the Untangled Narrative Process can increase personal and professional accountability, leading to more reliable follow-through and commitment.

Conflict Resolution

The process can provide tools and frameworks for resolving conflicts, both personal and professional, more constructively and amicably.

Holistic Personal Development

The process supports overall personal growth by integrating emotional, intellectual, and practical development.

Improved Work-Life Balance

The clarity and efficiency gained from the process can help individuals better manage their time and energy, contributing to a healthier work-life balance.

Team Cohesion and Collaboration

For organizations, the process can enhance team dynamics, improving collaboration and fostering a more cohesive work environment.

Positive Organizational Change

The process can facilitate organizational change by aligning individual goals with organizational objectives, leading to more harmonious and effective transformations.

Ethical Decision-Making

The process promotes a deeper understanding of personal and organizational values, supporting more ethical and principled decision-making.

Visionary Leadership

For leaders, the process can help develop a visionary approach, enabling them to inspire and lead with a clear, forward-thinking perspective.

Course Content and Objectives:

Below is a breakout of the modules included throughout the 12 week course.

The Five NarrativeOS Phases

Prepare Your Mind 

We begin by creating a mental space to explore the narratives shaping your decisions and actions. This phase cultivates curiosity, self-observation, and kindness. By staying present, examining the past, and envisioning the future, you’ll gain the clarity and openness needed for personal and professional growth.

Gather Your Narrative 

In this phase, we will explore the inner narratives from characters in works like Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, and Hamilton. By examining key elements such as emotions, expectations, conflicts, and themes, you’ll learn to capture and analyze your own narratives. This process will provide insights into how narratives shape your inner, social, and value systems, laying the foundation for introspection and transformation.

Identify Your Tangles 

In this phase we will look at what causes a tangle within a narrative and the impact that tangle can have on your decisions and actions. We will uncover the causes of tangles like Untested Assumptions, Inherited Narratives, and Cognitive Biases. 

Untangle Your Narrative 

In this phase we will begin to examine the narrative elements from the tangles you have identified and look to see specifically which elements in your narratives are helpful and which are not. We’ll focus on objective truth in situations and slowly massage apart the elements that may be in the way of you becoming your best self. 

Fuel Your Success 

In this final phase we will look to future building of narratives, how to check in on your current circumstances to avoid forming unnecessary tangles in the future, and how to build on this foundation to add competencies and skill-sets to what we have learned together during this time. 

Five Change-Supporting Skill-sets

Consider Your Commitments

Examine the commitments that shape your daily life. In this workshop, you’ll identify which commitments align with your goals and values, and which may be holding you back. By gaining clarity on your commitments, you’ll make more intentional choices that support your personal and professional growth.

Tackle Your Tension

Learn to navigate and utilize tension constructively. In this workshop, you’ll explore how tension can be a catalyst for communication and clarity, rather than a source of stress. By understanding and addressing tension effectively, you’ll improve interactions, reduce miscommunication, and foster a more transparent and productive environment.

Master Your Mood

Gain control over your emotional well-being with practical tools and strategies. In this workshop, you’ll learn to recognize and regulate your emotions, improve your resilience, change states to match your intended actions, and maintain a positive outlook. By mastering your mood, you’ll enhance your overall quality of life and productivity.

Harness Your Habits

Transform your daily routines into powerful tools for success. This workshop will guide you in identifying and establishing positive habits while breaking free from those that hinder your progress. By harnessing your habits, you’ll create a foundation for sustained personal and professional growth.

Find Your Flow

Discover how to achieve a state of optimal performance and creativity. This workshop will help you understand the conditions necessary for flow and how to cultivate it in your work and personal life. By finding your flow, you’ll enhance your ability to focus, innovate, and achieve your goals with greater ease and satisfaction.

The Narrative Elements

Narrative Action Cycle 

In the Narrative Action Cycle we look at the narrative elements directly related to choice, intentionality, and subsequent action. We will cover: Goals, Obstacles, Analysis, Tactics, Expectations, Emotions, and Systems. 

High Level Elements

In the high level elements, we will pull back for a broader view to identify triggers and obstacles that may need to be reframed before moving forward effectively is possible. We will cover: Conflicts, Themes, Characters, Settings, and Narrative Arcs. 

About Your Instructor

Jim Karwisch is a specialist in narrative transformation at Untangled Narrative LLC, where he leverages his extensive background in communication, storytelling, improvisation, corporate training, coaching, and group facilitation. With a rich blend of professional expertise and personal interests, Jim is dedicated to helping individuals and groups navigate and reshape their personal and professional narratives.

Jim’s passion for storytelling extends beyond his professional life. In his free time, he is an avid streamer, podcaster, and writer, immersing himself in the realms of science fiction and gaming. His unique hobby as a highland cow enthusiast adds a delightful touch to his multifaceted personality.

Living near Atlanta, GA, Jim enjoys a vibrant home life with his wife, son, mother-in-law, and a lively collection of pets. This supportive and dynamic household is a testament to his ability to balance professional dedication with personal fulfillment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Communication: Jim has a robust background in communication, holding a bachelor’s degree in the field. This ensures clear, effective, and empathetic interactions with all cohort participants.
• Storytelling: As a storytelling expert, Jim can guide attendees in crafting and understanding powerful narratives.
• Improvisation: His skills in improvisation bring creativity and adaptability to his coaching, making sessions dynamic and engaging.
• Corporate Training: With extensive experience in corporate training, Jim understands the professional development needs and challenges of individuals in various industries.
• Coaching: His coaching background ensures personalized support and development for each cohort member.
• Group Facilitation: Jim excels in creating a cohesive and collaborative group environment, fostering psychological safety and equal participation for all.

Course Format and Schedule:

Is the course online, in-person, or a hybrid?

The course is 100% online. We meet by Zoom once per week for the official class and work together asynchronously via the Heartbeat app including additional office hours and peer-to-peer conversation. 

What are the start and end dates?

This cohort runs from July 3, 2024 through September 18, 2024, each Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:30pm Eastern Standard Time. 

What is the schedule for classes, including time and frequency?

We meet once per week on Wednesdays at 7:30pm EST for 12 weeks.

Workload and Commitment:

How many hours per week are required for classes and homework?

• Each week there will be a 90-minute session followed by a 30-minute Q&A.
• Supplemental work will be limited to one hour per week and can consist of videos, worksheets, journaling, discussions, reflection, and conversations. 

Are there any additional commitments, such as group projects or exams?

This class has no exam, but does comprise one project throughout the 12-weeks. 

Each week stories are compiled into a “binder” of narrative elements as well as specific questions and facts gathered throughout. The binder is not graded but is intended to be used after the class is done to work through future situations using methods learned in the class combined with knowledge from previous untangled narratives. 

Cost and Payment:

The Cohort cost is $1,147   $447* to cover the 12 week cohort and all resources/materials – Register Here

Are there any additional fees for materials or resources?

If a participant wishes to print out any of the materials that are provided in digital form, any printing costs would not be covered by the course price. 

What are the payment options and deadlines?

Registration may be completed up until Mon, Jul 1, 2024 at 5:00pm 

Payment is due at time of registration. If a student is in hardship and needs to pay monthly the participant must speak with the teacher before registration closes on Mon, Jul 1, 2024 at 5:00pm.

Prerequisites and Eligibility:

Are there any prerequisites or prior knowledge required?

There are no prerequisites for this class

Class is taught in english.

Who is the target audience for the course?

Creatives
Leaders
Academics
Educators
Entrepreneurs
Life-long Learners

Materials and Resources:

What materials are needed (e.g., textbooks, software, tools)?

All materials for the course will be provided in digital format to participants throughout the course.

Are these materials provided, or do students need to purchase them separately?

The materials are covered within the cost of the class itself.

Community and Networking:

Will there be opportunities to interact and network with peers and industry professionals?

The Cohort will take place on the Heartbeat app where communication and networking are encouraged. This is the same location for documents and classes for ease of user experience. 

Support and Accessibility:

What support is available (e.g., tutoring, office hours, technical support)?

Office hours are available weekly.

Is the course accessible to students with disabilities?

Zoom technology which is used for the sessions themselves include subtitles, and the course curriculum is possible to learn through audio only if needed.