The day after returning to Tokyo from my US trip, I was back at the office for a full day of work. I’m generally a fan of jumping straight back into work after crossing time zones, as the pressure of deadlines tends to help reset my jet lag.

This week, you’ll notice some changes in the format of my weekly self-reflection — it’s more structured now, better reflecting the priorities in my life today.

Here’s how my week 1,534 unfolded.

🎥 What I Created

Projects:

As the first half of 2025 wraps up, I took a moment to reflect on what I’ve explored so far. Here are 10 things I tried.

Story behind it:

As we get older, responsibilities like work, health, and family take over, and we start shifting from thinking about success to avoiding failure. This fear of being wrong — about a job, a decision, or a move — often makes us play it safe. But I want to push back against that, staying open to risk and failure, as they remind me that I’m still learning and growing.

🏃 How Much I Ran

Distance / Time:

19.86 km / 2 hours, 37 minutes

Body & mind notes:

Although my body was worn out from the long journey across the Pacific and the jet lag, I was still able to maintain a consistent pace. I tried running sound-free, and it felt easier to find a sense of calm and focus.

📚 What I Read

Book / Article / Podcast:

Just got started on Surrounded by Bad Bosses and Lazy Employees: or, How to Deal with Idiots at Work by Thomas Erikson.

Quote that stuck:

But above all, what I started to understand — and what I have developed since then — was that leadership is an art. It’s a job, a task among many others. And you simply have to learn the job from the basics up, because you affect other people when you do it.

🤝 Who I Met or Spoke To

Who:

I attended an open house event at work, where I helped set up and run a demo space to showcase our products.

Memorable moments:

Our implementation manager passionately explaining our products to the guests who visited our space, and the guests’ reactions — surprise, excitement, and joy — when they got to experience firsthand what our products can do. It made me see how rewarding it can be working in merchant-facing roles, as you get to witness the direct impact you’re making.

🔭 Next Week’s Peek

Looking forward to:

Getting back to my morning writing routine.

Why it matters:

It was tough to stick to the schedule while I was traveling, so I’m looking forward to having that focused time back in the mornings again.

Hope you had a nice week.

Catch you next Sunday!