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CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1: Ok, So Where Are We Going?The chapter for finding your True North (and finally figuring out what the heck you’re doing here).You’ve woken up at Camp Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda — and it’s time to choose a direction. This first chapter in Defeating the Mediocre Ogre: A Field Guide for Grownups helps you do more than just “find yourself.” You’ll name what matters, define what drives you, and chart where you're headed next.Inside, you’ll:
• Define the values that keep you steady
• Unearth the purpose that fuels your next step
• Name the vision that calls you forward
• Write the mission that gives you meaningThis chapter also introduces the interactive journal prompts — so you can stop overthinking and start exploring for real.Includes the full camp intro packet (Welcome Letters + Know Before You Go), too — in case you missed it.Whether you're feeling stuck, off-course, or just ready to stop wandering with someone else’s map, this is where your exit begins.

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what is this place?

Camp Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda is a satirical summer camp for stuck grownups—people with big hearts, tired brains, and half-packed dreams.You didn’t sign up for this camp. You just... woke up here.One day you realized you were going through the motions, losing steam, and wondering when you traded your dream for just getting by.This storyverse blends metaphor, humor, and insight to help you laugh, learn, and navigate your way out of coulda-woulda-shoulda.You’ll meet monsters like:
• Moe the Mediocre Ogre – who whispers “good enough” on your worst days.• The Chaos Dragon – who keeps setting your priorities on fire, and complains about the smoke.• Drama Llama, Scope Creep, and the Grief Pop-Up, just to name a few – each with their own takeaways.This isn’t just a book. It’s a full creative world to help you get unstuck—with merit badges, metaphorical monsters, and tools you’ll actually use.Follow @campcouldawoulda for behind-the-scenes dispatches and bad advice from Camp Director Moe.

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Meet T.S. Gregory

Hi, I’m T.S. Gregory—writer, narrator, and reluctant former resident of Camp Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda.I didn’t plan to build a storyverse. I just looked up one day and realized the path I was on—the career I’d been grinding away at for years—wasn’t headed anywhere I actually wanted to go.And while I’m still technically on that path, I started writing this book—this field guide—as a way to make sense of where I am… and where I still want to go.A project began as an existential panic has turned into something else entirely: A creative roadmap out of the wilderness of almosts and close-regrets.If you’re here, you’re not doomed.
But you might be if you stay put.No one’s coming to airlift you out of your wilderness. You’ve got to lace up your boots, pack some bug spray, and start hacking your way forward—one whack at a time.So here I am, doing the same thing. Writing my way out. And offering what I can to help you do the same.Want to collaborate, book a talk, or just say hi? Let's connect!