In Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art he quotes the principle of priority that states: A) You must know the difference between what’s urgent and what’s important, and: B) You must do what’s important first. This is a principle I try to follow. Not only does it help remind you of your mission, it reminds …
In the sport of waterpolo, and I assume handball and a few other sports, a left-hander is worth more than a right-hander. Ambidextrous people are worth more than both combined, but the reason a left-hander is worth more is because the angle from which they shoot makes it much easier to score from the right …
Yesterday I was recording a radio show, Kiwi Radio with Yuka Kato, and Yuka told me this great analogy: There are four things that have a knack of rearing their ugly heads exactly when you forget about them: Earthquakes, fires, thunder and lightning, and the fourth one is my favourite: old men. Earthquakes and fires …
Here in Shonai, people often stick to one lane when they drive, knowing that up ahead the lanes merge. This is fine, except sometimes they do it a bit too early and you get one very long line of cars in a two-lane street. Now, this is ok for me, because I just go in …
You may have heard of the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team. Even if you haven’t, you’ve probably heard of something called sport. Well, the New Zealand All Blacks have the highest win percentage for any professional team in sport. 77%. That means they win more than three out of every four games. It …
That rustling in the bushes? It might be a lion. That storm brewing? Get inside. Not have enough food for the winter? Get ready now. Lions and storms and lack of food were very real fears for our ancestors. These fears were the difference between life and death. Take this point to its logical conclusion, …
Back in 2016, a friend and I ran an experimental cafe. Every other week, on the day that my chef friend had off, which was always a Monday, we would borrow our mutual friends’ cafe and run a cafe for a day. I was in charge of making coffee and waiting on people. My friend …
Don’t go too slow. Always keep momentum. Look ahead to check you’re travelling in the right direction. Don’t stop suddenly. Slow your pace down gradually. You may not be moving straight, but as long as you’re moving in the right direction, that’s all that matters. You may come across some bumps. Go over them if …
Does the phrase ‘Every Situation Is Different’ mean anything to you? This is the unofficial motto of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, and describes how wherever you go in the country, you will be in a different position to someone else on the programme. In my case, I was sent to Shonai town …
A couple of weeks ago I arrive home, walk into the kitchen, and I was presented with a toaster. Now, you may not think much of this, but if you’ve ever been to Japan, you would know that they have the weirdest, but still tasty, bread. Bread is typically sold in supermarkets based on number …
