As the world gradually returns to normal, I took a moment to visit a shrine during work. Atago Jinja (愛宕神社), famous for its steep stone steps known as the “Steps to Success,” provided a fitting backdrop for week 1,512 of my journey. Here’s how it unfolded.
1. What I read.
I’m revisiting Wanting by Luke Burgis because it’s simply that good.
The concept of mimetic desire is so fundamental to understanding human behavior that it’s hard to imagine encountering any book as impactful or eye-opening as this one. For me, it’s truly one of the defining books of this decade.
Every time I come back to it, a different passage stands out and teaches me something new. I can almost feel my ears “sweating” as the audio version reads my favorite lines.
The quote that stuck with me:
We often attribute a person’s magnetism to some objective quality about them — a manner of speaking, intelligence, tenacity, wit, or confidence. Those things help, but there is more. We are generally fascinated with people who have a different relationship to desire, real or perceived. When people don’t seem to care what other people want or don’t want the same things, they seem otherworldly. They appear less affected by mimesis — anti-mimetic, even. And that’s fascinating, because most of us aren’t.
For those interested in my review of Wanting, visit here.
2. Who I saw.
I caught up with my colleague in Amsterdam for our monthly catch-up. Being our first conversation of the year, it naturally turned to our plans for the year ahead. He mentioned a trip to Singapore next month, followed by a visit to Norway with his girlfriend.
The conversation got me thinking about my own plans for the summer. I know I’ll be in the US for my high school reunion and in Europe for a company event. But this chat motivated me to start mapping out how I can make the most of the year.
Next time I catch up with him, he’ll be in Singapore, where he’ll be staying for two weeks to collaborate with the local team. I’ll be dialing in from Tokyo for those work sessions.
The little details I observed:
He’s great at planning fun, which seems to be what helps him look forward to the future. While it’s important to be present in the moment, having things to look forward to can give life a sense of direction. In 2024, I’ve focused a lot on the former — learning to embrace what I can control. But planning future trips, like vacations, is one of those controllable factors that can give today more meaning and purpose.
3. What I created.
If you’ve been following me over the past few weeks, you may have noticed a shift in the format of my weekly self-reflection. Starting this week, I’m transforming this space into an activity log, where I’ll track my progress on key themes I’m focusing on.
The story behind it:
I’ve come to find the idea of quarterly goals more practical than setting long-term goals for the entire year. At the end of my New Year’s break, I spent half a day reflecting and setting 3–4 goals for the next three months, each tied to different areas of Life and Work.
I expect this article will serve as a tool for reviewing my weekly progress. Each week, this piece will be where I assess whether I’m on track with my goals, if I’m behind, and whether I have a plan to catch up — or if I need to adjust the goal.
This article will log three key activities — “Trilog”— crucial for achieving these goals: reading, networking, and writing.
Next Week’s Peek — What I’m looking forward to and why
Group run around the Imperial Palace: A friend from the CrossFit gym I used to attend invited me to join them for a run around the Imperial Palace. Among the group are people I’ve run a full marathon with, some who are organizers for national CrossFit competitions, and regular triathletes. When I join this community, I almost feel invisible in comparison to their level of fitness. It’s a refreshing change of pace for me, and whenever I’m craving a different type of workout, I often peek into their group chat for inspiration.
Hope you had a great week.
Catch you next week!