The Monday Read: Blue Skies
Living a deliberate life I went snowboarding today for the first time this season. We had great weather for it and the resort was playing upbeat jazz music instead of the usual ’80s pop tunes. A big improvement. At first I wasn’t thrilled about going, but my wife wanted to so I duly got up […]
The Monday Read: Death to Distractions
Last year was kind of mixed for me. I got a lot done, was able to travel more, enjoyed not having a fixed schedule, and had very little stress. But at the same time my health deteriorated and I found myself very distracted online. In particular, my smartphone use became problematic. I started playing a […]
The Monday Read: A Fork in the Road
I’ve really struggled with my health since the pandemic. Not sure if it is long Covid or just a more sedentary lifestyle, but I feel much less healthy than I did before 2020. So far I haven’t been able to turn this around by myself. In fact, turning it around is starting to feel like […]
The Monday Read: A Time of Dragons
Well, 2024 started off on the wrong foot! Not only was there a large and serious earthquake, it seems the government bungled the response somewhat by not taking it seriously enough at first. I hope everyone affected can get the help they need soon to get back on their feet. The main thing on my […]
The Monday Read: 2024 Awaits
The end of the year, the start of the new one. They are just normal days like any other but we imbue them with meaning. In Japan the whole country shuts down from December 29th to January 3rd. People go home, spend time with family, do big cleans, and think about the future. I don’t […]
The Monday Read: Merry Christmas
Happy holidays to one and all. I hope you are enjoying the end of the year and have some time off. I hope things are going well for you, financially and otherwise. I hope you are optimistic about the future. We had our Xmas dinner last night as usual (Christmas Eve, Spanish style) so today […]
The Monday Read: it’s the little things
I believe the big things matter. Security, freedom. But it’s the little things that make life pleasant. Eating really good noodles. Reading a book to a kid when they ask you to (even if it’s the 74th time). Looking at the clouds. Relaxing into a hot bath. Taking a walk somewhere green. Sadly a lot […]
The Monday Read: You Win or You Learn
I learned something last week. (that’s the positive way to look at it, and I’m a fan of seeing the positive in every situation) I booked three nights in one of my favourite hotels. It’s an old school place on the coast of Miyagi near Kinkasan, about an hour and a half drive from where […]
The Monday Read: Happy Birthday to us
RetireJapan is ten years old today! On December 4th, 2013 the first blog post was published on this site. This post is #921. At this rate, we should hit blog post #1000 sometime towards the end of 2024. The blog was the first thing on RetireJapan, and in many ways it is the heart of […]
The Monday Read: Take a moment
Incredibly, we’re almost at the end of 2023. Five weeks to go! This has been a big year. Lots of changes, not all of them good. A lot of learning. One thing I have learned is the importance of scheduling leisure. When you leave formal work for self-employment, working time and personal time cease to […]