It’s All About the Freedom

I recently had a conversation with a friend from Tokyo, Japan. When our paths first crossed about a decade ago, I remember Akio being exhausted with his super-busy work schedule.

At that point, Akio had logged 28 years in a global manufacturing plant and had mostly served as a product manager.

When I chatted with him a decade ago while having lunch at his favorite udon noodle soup restaurant, he mentioned that he was thinking about retiring soon.

He said, “You know I am only 52 right now, but I don’t want to work here for another 13 years until the retirement benefits start. I need to do something else.”?

Early Retirement

As life happens, I lost touch with Akio for more than a decade. However, as I was looking through my notes to help our son Aaron prepare for his January 2025 study semester in Japan, I found Akio’s contact, and I decided to reach out to him.

During our WhatsApp call, I asked him how things were coming along, and I noticed that he seemed very excited about life.

He said, “You know, Jimmie, two years after you and I met in Tokyo, I decided to leave the manufacturing job, and I just retired! I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do, but I knew I could find something that would keep me occupied. More than anything … it’s all about my freedom!”

As Akio and I chatted a bit more, he told me that he became a tour guide in the Tokyo area, and he has enough work to keep him busy, but he made it clear … “This is not work to me!”

Moving On

The conversation with Akio reminded me that it is good to have choices. In his case, he was unsure of what he was going to do next in life.

However, he knew one thing: He was no longer going to take a 40-minute one-way subway commute from his home to the downtown Tokyo office. He was done with that!

There is an excellent lesson for me.?

I remember the times when I did work that I did not like, but as we often say here … “It pays the bills!”

Mindset Change

While I am not looking to retire anytime soon, I do want to be mindful about how my work affects my emotional well-being.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been one of those people who is willing to take on big challenges.

“Give me the work! I will get it done!”

As I reflect and look into the future, I am a bit more mindful about how more work will impact my sanity.?

Here are some questions I ask myself before accepting more work?

• “Do I have the skills and capacity to do this work at a level that meets expectations?”
• “What will I sacrifice to take on this work responsibility?
• “Am I doing the work merely for the additional income?”

The question about the “additional income” is a completely different perspective on employment …

I no longer work merely to earn income.

Instead, like my friend Akio, I put my freedom to make choices and to be happy above making a buck.

See you next week, my friend!

Homework Inquiry

During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: What makes you the happiest in life?