Author: Satoru Hirose

 

Seize the day.
今を生きよう。

 

Our life is full of choices. All of us made many choices in the past. We are going to make some decisions today. And we will keep choosing something in the future.

Here is a problem: some people — including my former self — tend to think more about what they could (or should) have done in the past, rather than what they can do now. Even worse, they often create a memory bias — one of common cognitive biases — and make up a different story about what they experienced in the past, like these:

“I could have done this if my boss had been supportive to me.” “I could have done that if I had stayed in that company.”

It means nothing to think about these fantasies. Even if we did, we wouldn’t be able to change what happened in the past. It’s just a waste of our brain power. Your former boss or employer still s**ks because of what they did, at least from your current point of view. That’s that.

It is always better to use our imagination to think about what we do now to create the life we want in the future. We are not always able to forget what others — like our parents, teachers, bosses, acquaintances or exes — did to us, but we can always shift our focus from the past to the present moment.

So my friends, seize the day — to make your lives extraordinary.

 

 

Examine your autosuggestion.
自分の自己暗示をよく吟味しよう。

 

Many advertisements take advantage of the power of image. TV commercials, posters, product packages, and book covers — these visuals always talk to our unconscious mind like this: “Here’s what you look for. Buy this so that you’ll make you happy; otherwise you’ll be left behind.” The same applies to social media — They are “contaminated” by the images that draw impulsive response from us.

No matter how we think of ourselves, the truth is that we can be easily affected. So it is better to use this tendency for our own sake, not for someone else.

For example, instead of buying a newly published book, read your favorite classic book again and again — until you internalize what is written in the book. Or go to a public library, pick one book and do the same. You don’t have to spend your money to read a book and make yourself smart. And you consciously choose what to read; you’re not unconsciously forced to read a certain book title by Amazon or someone else.

Once we become conscious of what we do, we begin to notice other’s intention that tries to control us, instead of being unconsciously affected by them. And we start to believe that we can control our behavior and life. This is just an example of the autosuggestion we have to live with for the rest of our lives — so create your own statement about the life you want to live. It’s the advertisement you create for your own sake.

 

 

Recognize your value.
自分の価値を認識しよう。

 

To recognize our own value — it might be one of the biggest challenges in our life and business.

Decades ago, I once regarded my job with a six-digit salary as “shitty.” Sorry for the awful word, but this is exactly what I always thought in my mind. And it comes from one of the typical thoughts of passive-aggressive people — “I’m a skilled businessperson, but the company doesn’t recognize what I’ve done and only gives me the rule for which I’m overqualified.” It is a very dangerous thought that can destroy our career. And that was what exactly happened to me. Due to my deep resentment against my employer, I completely overlooked the unique value I delivered to the people working with me.

No matter what you do, there is the value that only you can deliver. Don’t get trapped by the social norm, the corporate culture of your employer, or what others say to you — these things don’t always help you deliver your own value to this world. In reality, they often do the opposite; they make you replaceable or force you to do the things that anyone can do.

Never underestimate yourself. That can be the fatal mistake in your life and business.

 

 

Conquer the small stuff.
些細なことを制圧しよう。

 

To make a difference both in our life and business, we need to be fully productive and creative. But small stuff often prevents us from being so.

If the small stuff is worthless — like notifications of SNS or email software — we can just get rid of it. Easy. If you can completely turn off your phone when you have to focus on something, that’s much better.

What if the small stuff is what we have (or need) to do but not what we want to do, like tax filings? There are hundreds of ways to deal with it, but I prefer these two:

1) Plan ahead. If it is clear that you have to do a certain thing by a certain date, set a schedule, then forget about it until then. Calendar or reminder apps will help you do this. Don’t even use a fraction of your brain power to remember these stuff — it’s just a waste of our willpower. Don’t postpone it either; doing so makes you feel bad about yourself and adversely affects your productivity and creativity.

2) Do it now. If it takes less than 10 minutes to complete a task, just get it done right now. Don’t even think if it is the right time to do this or not. If you’re not sure how long it takes, set a schedule later and follow the instruction of “Plan ahead.” That being said, I’m still far from perfect, and sometimes procrastinating. So once a week — usually Sunday — I have a “clean-up” day. This is the day I take care of all small tasks I left behind during the week.

Being productive and creative is a battle. Battle against distractions — as well as yourself. As long as you face the battle, you might as well lead you to victory.

 

 

Thank yourself now.
いま自分自身に感謝しよう。

 

When you have a new day, thank yourself first.

It’s an opportunity. You might not have done things well so far, but now you have another chance.

It’s a challenge. You might have already achieved a lot, but now you get to try a new thing.

It’s a chance to have compassion for others. Someone might have insulted you, but now you can forgive — let go of your negative feelings about — that person.

We can do these things because we are still alive and capable of doing something meaningful to ourselves. And doing so will make us grow further.

Don’t beat yourself up, especially if you often do so. Making you feel inferior wouldn’t help you at all — and it just makes you feel that every single day is a burden, not a gift.

Thank ourselves now, and let’s make the most of the day.