The Value of the Process: Beyond the Purpose.”
One thing to keep in mind when we get into a negative spiral is that we become more focused on our objectives.
Simply put, we make “accomplishment” our top priority.
For example, when you plan a trip to Paris, you want to visit various tourist attractions without wasting time.
If this is the case, you will prioritize visiting all the tourist attractions, and as a result, there is a risk that you will end up having a restless trip.
Also, if traffic conditions along the way prevent you from going to some of the places you had hoped to visit, your enjoyment of the other places may be reduced by half.
This is something we are all prone to.
This achievement-oriented mindset can cause us to overlook important things.
I have had the experience of unknowingly falling into this “achievement mindset” and not being able to get anything done.
What is important in such a situation?
The important thing to do in such a situation is to “be an idiot.
This may sound a bit extreme, but one medicine is to abandon overly calculative thinking and act accordingly.
It seems to me that it is very important to get away from this achievement mindset in our daily lives as well.
For example, taking a walk, even if it has no purpose, the act itself has value.
The small discoveries in daily life, such as a new path one finds on a walk, a change in the seasons, or a slight change in the local stores, enrich the mind and provide a new perspective.
Rather than saying “I walk for my health,” it is more positive to say “I enjoy my daily walks and stay healthy while walking.
Achieving our goals is important, of course, but aren’t the experiences we have along the way also an important part of shaping our lives?
It is easier to say, “I will try even if I fail,” rather than “I will achieve success.
I really think so.
That’s why I can’t get behind the recent ideas of cost performance and time performance.
From a small daily walk to a distant trip, from a small piece of art to a large work of art, paying attention to the experience of the process beyond the destination may be the key to a richer life.
“The Concept of Happiness and the Achievement-Oriented Trap.”
The pitfalls of achievement thinking can also risk instability of the mind.
For example, it is common for people to take out loans when their first priority is to acquire luxury goods.
However, this approach can cause problems in the long run.
Although a loan allows you to get what you want temporarily, the financial burden and psychological pressure associated with the loan may gradually become a drag, and eventually the long-term pain and burden may be greater than the temporary happiness.
I myself actually experienced many regrets after buying.
Thus, a goal-oriented approach may bring temporary satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, but it does not necessarily lead to long-term happiness.
Unfinished houses in India
In India, there are many houses with bare reinforced concrete on the upper floors.
Of course, in cities with commercial facilities such as Mumbai, you can see elaborately designed buildings that are no different from those in Tokyo, Japan.
However, even in such a modern country, if you go into a residential area a little further away, you can see houses with bare rooftops with thick steel frames and thin bars of rebar.
Chairs and other items are temporarily placed on the incomplete rooftop to make it look like a terrace,
The unfinished bare steel-framed houses are somewhat laid-back, and naturally, they smell poor.
They are exposed to the rain, so why don’t they finish them as soon as possible?
To our Japanese eyes, it is strange to see Indian people living in unfinished houses.
This is where the difference between the Japanese and Indian identities lies.
The projected completion of the house you want to finish may change over the next six months or a year.
The composition of the family may change.
They enjoy the changes, and work hard every day, dreaming of what kind of house they will build.
On the other hand, many Japanese own their homes by the late 20s if they are early, and by the 40s if they are late.
Most of them will have taken out a loan to acquire a house.
The house acquired is either a newly built condominium or a new 2- or 3-story house in a subdivision.
For 30 to 35 years, you will continue to pay around 100,000 yen per month for the house, based on your income.
The moment you move in, you will be perfectly happy.
A beautifully finished space that has not been invaded by anyone.
A brand new room room room.
I can’t help but have fun with my spouse and children, wondering what kind of curtains and furniture I will use.
However, such a fresh feeling will fade away after a few months.
You will be offended by the news of a recently completed good apartment building that is more conveniently located near the train station, and you will also become irritated by the location of electrical outlets, steep stairs, and narrow uncovered parking spaces in your detached house.
While Indians enjoy the unfinished state and work hard with it as material, the Japanese will be the first to get the finished product and work hard under the stress of it, which they cannot escape.
They have opposite attitudes toward the future.
This episode makes it very easy to understand which is more important, the “goal” of owning a house or the “process” of building a house over time.
To get out of this suffering, it is important to know your level.
In other words, if you don’t try to dress up for others, you should not fall into this trap.
Don’t despise yourself for your shabby bare rebar.
Accept yourself as you are.
And take action little by little to the extent you can.
“The process is more important than the goal,” is a phrase I like to remind myself when I forget.
