Fumio Sasaki - Hello, Habits

HELLO, HABITS

A Minimalists Guide to a Better Life

Fumio Sasaki

Translated by Eriko Sugita

I always thought that I had no talent.

I could never continue to do something for an extended period no matter what I tried, and I was unable to produce significant results in either my studies or sports. But since I started to study habits, Ive changed my mind. Its not a major issue whether or not I have talent.

Because talent isnt something thats given to us; its made, as a result of a continuation of habits.

There is an author that I like by the name of Kyohei Sakaguchi. His novels are written with combinations of words that are completely different from other authors. And he can write moving melodies on his guitar, and his illustrations rival those by contemporary artists. He has recently been making chairs and even knitting. No matter how you look at him, he appears gifted.

But I heard that even this man had been told by his father, You dont have talent, so give it up, while his brother would say, Youve just been lucky with flukes from the number of attempts youve been making. Theres a phrase that Sakaguchi repeats like a mantra: It isnt talent. Its continuing. I hear that even baseball star Ichiro and internationally best-selling author Haruki Murakamiand for that matter, anyone else who thrives in whatever it is that they dogenerally dont acknowledge that they are gifted.

On the other hand, stories about gifted people captivate us: Dragon Ball, in which talent is awakened by anger; Slam Dunk, in which the protagonist, who has so far only been getting into fights, suddenly shows off a magnificent jump; and Hollywood films like The Matrix, in which a chosen one all of a sudden becomes aware of his capabilities.

When you live a real life for a while, you begin to realize that talent is somewhat different from these types of things. Look at the gifted individuals in the world; youll see that they are all making proper efforts. Theres a line that goes like this:

Genius is often only the power of making continuous efforts.

Elbert Hubbard

Okay, I get it. Perhaps genius refers to a person who can continue to make efforts. But then, I thought: Maybe I dont have the talent to continue to make efforts.

My feeling now is that words like talent and effort are being used under a misconception. Talent isnt something given to us by the heavens, and effort doesnt mean work so strenuous that we have to grit our teeth. I think the concept of habits can bring talent and effort back to the normal people out there. These are not things that may only be achieved by a limited few; they are things that we can all acquire, depending on how we go about it. In brief:

Talent isnt something that youre given; its something thats created after you make an effort.

These efforts can be maintained if you turn them into habits.

The methods for these habits are something that you can learn.

Writing my previous work, Goodbye, Things, freed me from my inferiority complex over money and possessions. And in writing this book, I am trying to relieve myself of my complex over effort and talent.

I think this is going to turn out to be the last self-help book for me.

Let us begin our final preparations.

The composition of this book is the same as when youre acquiring a habit: the beginning is the hardest part. So, if you want to quickly learn the tips for making things a habit, you can go ahead and read just .

In , we consider the issue of willpower. It often happens that we want to acquire some type of habit but end up being unable to persevere. And we often say, I have a weak will. I will consider what exactly this willpower is that we express as being strong or weak.

In , I look at what habits are, as well as the issue of awareness. This is because I consider habits to be actions that we take without much thoughtin other words, they are actions that we take without calling up our awareness, which we believe to be our mind.

In , I explain in stages the steps for actually acquiring habits, breaking them down into fifty parts. These are points that will serve as references when you start or quit doing something. While there are many books on habits, my intention has been to compile their essence in a single book.

In , I rewrite the meanings of the words talent and effort to capture what has become clear to me by studying habits, and the expanded possibilities of habits that I have witnessed by putting them into practice. Habits are not only effective for achieving objectives; I feel that they have deeper meaning.

Habit is as second nature.

Cicero

Habit a second nature! Habit is ten times nature.

The Duke of Wellington

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

Will Durant

HELLO, HABITS

Im exactly the type of person I wanted to be. My favorite film director, Clint Eastwood, once said something cool like that.

Theres no way I could ever say that. But I am spending the types of days that I used to want to spend. Id like to give you a look at an average day in my life.

My schedule is basically the same each day, and it doesnt change whether its the weekend or a holiday. My off days are when I have special plans like seeing friends, going to events, or traveling. I take about a day off each week. Im now thirty-eight and single. I live alone, and I write as an occupation.

Anyone can do that if theyre single and they have freedom as a freelancer, you may think. But things were completely different for me when I first obtained the time and freedom that I had dreamed of.

All of humanitys problems stem from mans inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

Blaise Pascal

In 2016, I left the publishing company where I worked and began writing freelance. As I had just received a bonus I wouldnt have to worry about money for a while. No one would get mad at me no matter how much I slept each day, and I was free to go out and frolic during business hours. I had spent twelve busy years working as an editor. It wouldnt hurt to take it easy for a while. Thats what I thought.