Hidden Career Lessons from Our Childhood Superheroes: Son Goku

I haven’t really thought much about anime other than entertainment until recently...

I found life’s lessons in Japanese anime. 

If you grew up watching the Dragon Ball anime series then chances are you’ll be able to relate much on what I say. And if you come to think of it, the anime teaches us more about business and personal development.

Here are the career lessons from Son Goku that I realized:

Hard Work Trumps Talent 

Son Goku didn’t come from a royal bloodline like Vegeta. He didn’t have much talent other than a thirst for martial arts and fighting. Goku's father, Bardock was a low class saiyan. Son Goku had to train harder than everyone else to win. It was all focused training, eating and sleeping.

And just like Son Goku, we should always persevere despite the odds. We should all focus on what we should achieve and not get distracted with non-essentials. We are all capable of greatness even when we aren’t born with talent. 

Surround Yourself with Help

Son Goku couldn’t have defeated some of his enemies without his friends and family. He could’ve taken forever to look for the dragon balls if it wasn't for Bulma’s genius. He couldn’t have succeeded in becoming a great martial artist if it weren’t for his trainers. He started with Grandpa Gohan and moved on to other trainers like Master Yoshi (kamehameha), Mr. Popo (Ki control and sensing others), King Kai (Kaio Ken, Spirit Bomb), the people of Yardrat (instant transmission) Whis and Merus (Ultra Instinct) and others to name a few to become stronger with new techniques every time. Of course we also have Chichi, Goku’s wife who fed him delicious food.

It’s better off to have only a few reliable family and friends in your circle of support rather than have many but unreliable support. Also, surround ourselves with mentors that will us learn important lessons to advance our careers.

It takes Time to Become an Expert

We can’t be experts in an instant. Son Goku went on a tremendous amount of focused training to become what he is now. And every time he learned a new technique, a bigger foe came and then he had to learn new techniques to overcome each.

Just like us in real life. We should never rest on our laurels and instead strive to continuously improve. The process takes time and a tremendous amount of concentration but once we learn it, we get the hang of it until it becomes second nature. 

Some Enemies Can Become Friends

Piccolo, Majin Buu and the Androids were all villains first. But, they managed to get along and become friends with Son Goku in the face of adversity.

Our competitors today might be our partners tomorrow.

Office Politics is Inevitable

Like Mr. Satan, some of our office mates aren’t even qualified to be in their position. Not everyone will notice that especially the boss so we should instead learn how to handle them. If they are in a higher position, maybe we should respect their authority but at the same time be wary of their motives. We can always prove ourselves worthy to others. Sooner or later, people will notice who's incompetent in the office. 

Find a Partner That Will Keep Your Stupidity in Check

Chichi was a formidable partner. Song Goku feared her lot even though he was a thousand times stronger than she was. That’s because Chichi had a strong personality and was always there to guide Son Goku become a better person. Chichi is dubbed as the only responsible adult in the Dragon Ball universe.

Just like us, we should find someone who keeps us grounded, someone who helps steer us in the right direction.

Find a “Friendly” Rival

Son Goku couldn’t be the strongest saiyan if it weren't for Vegeta who was always competing with him. Even though Vegeta’s competitiveness was sometimes out of hand, we should all strive to find a buddy to compete with to become better persons be it in the office or in life. 

Take Care of Your health

Future Trunks time travelled to the present to warn Son Goku that he would die from heart disease. We don’t have the luxury of a future nephew warning us of impending death from a health ailment. Therefore, we should always take care of our health no matter what stage of life we are in. The younger the better. Let’s not take care of ourselves before it’s too late. 

Be Friends With Your Boss/Bosses and Keep Them Happy

Like Goku’s relationship with the Supreme God, he was able to prevent total annihilation because he was friends with the supreme god, Zeno. He liked Goku so much that even when Zeno's servants considered some of Goku's action disrespectful, Zeno ignored them and found delight in Goku's company.

Aside from these lessons, I still try to become a super saiyan at least once a year. That's how much impact the Dragonball series taught me! Haha. Did you learn anything else from Dragonball? Please do share!