Doodle Card

 

We are stronger than habit.
私たちは習慣より強い。

 

“Nothing is stronger than habit.” WRONG. We are always stronger than habit. Because we are the ones who form a habit.

You can foster good habits and break bad habits. Or if you want, you can foster bad habits and break good habits. It’s your choice, and it’s the choice you make every single minute.

We are not under control of our habit. We control our habit, although we don’t always do so in a conscious way. Recognize what you do, and if you want to change it, analyze why you do it. Always remember that you are stronger than habit.

 

 

Be nice to yourself first.
まず自分自身に親切にしよう。

 

I don’t follow so many accounts on social media. I maintain a quite-limited number of friends on Facebook, and on top of that, I rarely see my Facebook timeline. I do these intentionally to avoid “triggers.”

It’s not always easy to fill our head with positive voices. Negative voices come up even when we don’t intend to—that’s how our brain works. It’s in the same way that a great idea pops up in our head out of the blue.

So what should we do? The first thing is to input more positive voices into our brain. Reading motivational articles or books, listening to inspirational audiobooks or podcasts… like many of you have already been doing.

The second thing is to stay away from “triggers” that can produce negative voices in our head. It requires a certain level of self-awareness—because we have no idea what to avoid if we don’t know the things that our brain responds negatively to. But once we recognize them, we can design our way of life and work to avoid them as much as we can.

We have to be nice to ourselves first so that we can be nice to others. The opposite doesn’t always work because that can cause a feeling of being victimized.

Find your own way to be super nice to yourself—other good things will follow.

 

 

Forgive yourself.
自分を許そう。

 

Who’s the most forgiving person you’ve ever met in your life?

Maybe your grandmother or grandfather. It might be your father or mother. No matter who it is, remember their voice. When things get tough and you think you’re a failure, say to yourself in their voice: “You’ll be fine.”

In our life, things often get tough. REALLY TOUGH. Especially if we run our own business. When something bad happens, we tend to blame ourselves or be ashamed of ourselves, and often get stuck with such a feeling of guilt. But most likely, it just makes the situation even worse.

Others may not forgive you forever for what you have done to them. Accept that, but forgive yourself. And keep taking actions to be a better version of you. Remember the voice of your beloved someone saying to you, “You’ll be fine.”

 

 

Stop selling yourself short.
自分を安売りするのはやめよう。

 

“Do you mean $4.00?”

He replied to me when I estimated my work at $400. I drew some sketches for him for free at the very beginning of my career as a graphic artist. He didn’t give me a testimonial he promised to give; he didn’t even reply to my email. And six months later, he contacted me unexpectedly, still expected me to work for free, and made a sarcastic remark when I sent a quotation with a “fair” amount.

Some people say that, especially when we launch a new business, we should work for free or very cheap, make customers happy, and ask them for a testimonial. That tactic doesn’t always work—most of the time, it backfires on us. When we work for free or very cheap, people won’t value us anymore; they tend to recognize us as a cheap, dispensable resource. And when we ask for a testimonial, they would think, “Who the heck does this guy think he is? Why should I give him a testimonial for his cheap work?” and become reluctant to do so.

Never sell yourself short. People may say their budget is limited, but that’s a clear sign that they devalue you and your work. Don’t waste your talent and energy on those who don’t value you.

 

 

Be ignored to be free.
自由になるために無視されよう。

 

No one wants to feel the fear of being ignored. I know it very well because I got ignored so many times in my life.

But if we see bright side of being ignored—yes, there is a bright side—it means we no longer need to worry about what others say. We have freedom to do what we want in the way we want.

Once you start doing what you want and become good at it, people begin to care about you. Most likely, these people are different from those who ignored you. You might want to retaliate for being ignored, but just forget it. Instead, enjoy a new relationship with people who value you and your work, and nurture it.

Intentionally or unintentionally, you get ignored at times. Don’t get panicked, and take it as an opportunity to do something you really want.