8 Japanese Techniques to Overcome Laziness & Achieve Success
Discover ancient wisdom condensed into bite-sized chunks
Laziness is a modern pandemic.
According to gitnux statistics, 1 in 4 people feel that they are chronic procrastinators or lazy.
According to the Lancet (a U.K. medical journal), that costs the global economy $67.5 billion every year.
Personally, I’m not so concerned with the financial ramifications of being lazy as much as the impact it has on mental health and physical well-being.
So, I echo the words of Zig Ziglar:
“There is no such thing as a lazy person; he is either sick or uninspired.”
This makes perfect sense. When I don’t want to do something, I find a million and one things to distract me.
When I do want to do something, on the other hand, I have a laser focus and an abundance of energy.
As someone who’s invested in personal growth, I’ve tried to find many life hacks over the years that combat my tendency to be lazy, procrastinate, and play small.
I love it when I find a step-by-step guide that acts as a sort of roadmap.
The 8 Japanese techniques shared below do just that and they’ve helped me overcome laziness and achieve success. That’s why I’m so excited to share them with you.
1. Ikigai
A Reason for Being: How to Discover Your Purpose In Life
Finding your ikigai is no mean feat and it can look a million different ways.
What I found extremely beneficial in my quest for purpose was to travel the world, experiment with a bunch of different activities, people, ideologies, and philosophies, and see what sticks and what falls away.
I became a scuba diving instructor, breathwork facilitator, and full-time writer. Some have fallen away and that’s okay. Others have stuck and will be with me through life.
The joy of aligning our actions with our purpose is that life gains a deeper meaning and motivation becomes a natural driving force.
2. Kaizen
Taking Small Steps Toward Big Progress
Once my purpose was established, I then had to take the necessary steps to make it real.
I took courses, invested in equipment, studied a lot, and created a schedule. I took small steps every day and it made the world of difference.
I love writing small actionable lists every day and completing them. This helps me feel like I’m progressing and on purpose. But find what works for you and chip away at it.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain
3. Pomodoro Technique
Managing Time to Become More Focused and Productive
Time is a slippery beast these days and at times, it can feel like there’s not enough of it.
So, setting myself properly keeps me on track.
As I said, I write lists but what I left out is that I do it the night before. This frees my night brain of holding onto things while I sleep and it frees my morning brain of having to think too hard too early.
I also make sure to complete my morning practice before I work (1 hour of breathwork, chanting, and light yoga). Then I plug in and get to it with a fresh mind.
While I work, I follow the Pomodoro Technique.
It recommends working for 25 minutes straight with complete concentration, followed by a 5-minute break.
In those 5 minutes, I sit and meditate. Or I get up and make some tea. Or (on the more difficult days) I lie down on the floor and surrender completely.
I know it sounds simple but it’s a powerful way to combat laziness and enhance productivity.
4. Hara Hachi Bu
Eating Mindfully
Adopting this principle isn’t always easy as it encourages people to stop eating when they’re 80% full. I’ll admit it, I’m a big overeater. Food is a big source of comfort for me.
But what I’ve found is that it destroys my focus and productive output when I’m too full.
(That post-lunch slump is real!)
So, although I’m not as rigid as following the 80% rule to the tee, I do try and eat more mindfully. I eat slower, less when I can, and I try to be as healthy and nutritious as I can be.
As a result, I feel more energised and on purpose.
“You are what you eat” As the proverbial saying goes
5. Shoshin
Embracing the Beginner’s Mindset
Shoshin encourages curiosity and I love that. It says — “Don’t worry about having all the answers or being flawless from the start, I’ve got you. We can learn.”
Instead, it embraces the process of learning, of unlearning, and trying new things. This helps turn the fear of failure into an opportunity to learn and grow, and that can change the whole perspective on things.
That all starts with an openness to explore, to be wrong, to question, interrogate, and learn.
6. Wabi-Sabi
Accepting Imperfection
Not to be confused with wasabi — that little green sauce that burns a hole in the back of the throat and renders anyone who eats too much of it to say “Oh my God!” through squinted tearful eyes.
Wabi-sabi is all about building on the beginner’s mindset. Every beginner recognises they have lots to learn so they’re less hard on themselves. This graces them with more room to make mistakes, grow, and ultimately evolve.
Practicing wabi-sabi reminds us of the gift of imperfection, regardless of how ‘professional’ we become.
7. Forest Bathing
Recharge in Nature
As a writer, some of my best work has come when I’m a million miles away from my thoughts. Somewhere in the mountains, under the ocean, or in the forest.
So, in a world that’s governed more and more by technology, getting into nature has never been more important.
8. Kakeibo
Master Your Finances
Kakeibo (Pronounced ‘kah-keh-boh’), translates to “household financial ledger.”
Sexy, I know.
It was dreamed up in 1904 by Hani Motoko, who is considered Japan’s first female journalist. She kept a journal of all her incomings and outgoings so she could see where she was spending unnecessary money.
It worked so she shared it with the world.
Sometimes, the hardest things have the most simple of solutions.
Kakeibo is one of them.
It took me until I was 30 years old to realise this. Up until then, I was a scuba diving instructor who travelled the world on a shoestring.
Then covid hit and scuba diving turned out to be (probably) the worst industry to be in. I think it was all that closeness and sharing mouthpieces that pushed people over the edge.
So, I got serious about money because I had to. I did what most people did; I turned online and punched in generic searches into Google such as “How to make money online in 2020” and went down many rabbit holes.
Luckily, one of them was writing and it changed my life.
Then I built up an emergency fund on the advice of financial experts, I transferred my money into a savings account that earns interest, and I slowly started investing in cryptocurrencies and company shares.
I’m lucky to say that now I’m financially stable and I never knew how good that felt until it happened.
To recap
Here is a recap of all 8 techniques so you can avoid laziness and achieve success once and for all:
- Ikigai: A Reason for Being: How to Discover Your Purpose In Life
- Kaizen: Take Small Steps Toward Big Progress
- Pomodoro Technique: Managing Time to Become More Focused and Productive
- Hara Hachi Bu: Eat Mindfully
- Shoshin: Embrace the Beginner’s Mindset
- Wabi-Sabi: Accept Imperfection
- Forest Bathing: Recharge in Nature
- Kakeibo: Master Your Finances
