Japanese T
I was asked to share some tips on how to overcome burnout (I like to use stuckness) and thought to share some outputs for others in case it helps.
In the humdrum of everyday life, becoming stuck or burnt-out can stop us from functioning, impact our daily routines, productivity, health and mental state.
A former business partner's wife was Japanese. He had lived there with his family for many years. We would often swap travel stories. He would tell me about the Japanese culture; traditional, gentle, respectful and family-oriented. They're strong on 'hand-shake' agreements, honour, trust, etc. This intrigued me to learn more.
The Japanese culture offers various techniques to overcome what I call 'stuckness' or a lack of flow, be it in your routine, writing, work, sport etc.
These are some (not all) tools or hacks that can help you cultivate a sense of purpose, forward momentum and energy.
Ikigai: Finding Your Purpose: Ikigai is a powerful concept that refers to the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Discovering your Ikigai provides a sense of purpose and motivation, helping you overcome laziness by aligning your actions with your deeper values and aspirations. Your true north as it were.
Kaizen: Continuous Improvement (growth mindset): emphasizes the idea of continuous improvement aka marginal gains theory. Rather than striving for drastic changes overnight, Kaizen encourages small, incremental steps towards progress. By breaking down tasks into manageable pieces and focusing on consistent improvement, gradually building momentum towards your goals.
Wabi–Sabi: Embracing Imperfections: Wabi-Sabi is an aesthetic principle that celebrates the beauty of imperfection and impermanence. Often, perfectionism can lead to procrastination and inaction. Embracing the Wabi-Sabi mindset allows you to accept imperfections and overcome the fear of failure.
Mottainai: Avoiding Waste: Mottainai is a concept that highlights the importance of not wasting resources, including time and energy.
Ganbaru: Perseverance and Effort: Ganbaru is a Japanese term that translates to “doing one’s best” or “giving it your all.” Cultivating the spirit of Ganbaru involves embracing determination, resilience, and excellence.
Seiri, Seiton, and Seiso; three principles of organization and decluttering often associated with the 5S methodology. Seiri focuses on sorting and decluttering, Seiton emphasizes organization and arrangement, and Seiso promotes cleanliness and regular maintenance.
Kintsugin- By accepting failures as opportunities for growth & learning.
Kodawari - The dedication to perfecting the smallest details. By cultivating keen attention to detail, you can maintain focus.
Experiment with these, adapt them to your needs and pls let me know if this helped.
Be well.
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