Two steps forward, one step back
Investing in a time of strong stock markets and a weak yen In the real world, progress is seldom linear. You are more likely to see forward movement, the odd lurch backwards, and lots of sideways drifting. I have seen this in exercise, creative endeavors, business, relationships, learning, and of course investing. People think the […]
The Monday Read: It’s okay to take time off too
Sometimes the best thing we can do is recover I have been much more active recently. That is largely a good thing, but today I hit a wall. I went to jiu-jitsu practice on Friday and Saturday, then went snowboarding today on Sunday. It was too much. I felt exhausted, with no energy. I pushed […]
Setting goals effectively will transform your life
Two contradictory strategies for success When it comes to setting goals there are two excellent strategies, and I think both of them are extremely valuable. Which is kind of counterintuitive, because they are exact opposites. But they both work. Two effective ways to use goals to help you get what you want The first strategy […]
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 […]
2023 Roundup
All in one place This is the RetireJapan roundup post for 2023. We’ll be going through some successes and failures, as well as my lists of favourite blog posts and videos. Here is the 2022 post if you want to see what that year looked like. 2023 was the year of rapid evolution I finally […]
The Monday Read: Miyako Calling
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. I’m in Miyakojima for a couple of weeks. It’s pretty good down here. I first visited in June, but liked it enough to book a second trip in October! Primary goal was for my […]
The Monday Read: Heat degrades productivity
Welcome to The Monday Read, RetireJapan’s weekly collection of content, musings, and links related to personal finance and life in Japan. It’s not actually that hot in Sendai (comparatively), and the humidity has been a lot less oppressive than in recent memory, but it does drag on. The fact that it doesn’t get much cooler […]