“What Looks Interesting” Leads to Endless Exploration

My actions are fundamentally driven by my interests. The word "troublesome" doesn't exist in my vocabulary. Just as I eat my favorite sushi first, I tackle things before they feel like a chore. In that sense, perhaps I'm not a "heavy" person.

My strong desire to satisfy my curiosity means that instead of thinking, "I shouldn't eat this because I'll gain weight," I first consider, "What about this eating method?" Rather than simply wanting to "lose weight," I'm drawn to various stretches and corrective methods because I want to experience a body free from distortion. That's how it all begins.

As I wrote in my January column, I currently aspire to a "Zen-like" lifestyle, akin to a Buddhist monk, and wish to achieve a state of eating only until "contentment," or about 70% full. But it's not just about eating 70%; if I'm eating 70%, I want it to be 70% that leads to beautiful skin. Therefore, simple calorie counting doesn't interest me.

Overcoming the "Three-Day Monk" Syndrome!

I started marathon running six years ago for a magazine feature. I thought, "If I continue for eight months, it's bound to become a habit, not a fleeting interest." So, in August of that year, I completed a half-marathon in New York. Through that experience, I learned how to overcome the "three-day monk" tendency.

Since childhood, I've had a personality where once I achieve something, it becomes uninteresting, and I stop doing it. Although I do try very hard until I succeed. So, six years ago, I decided to use this marathon as an opportunity.

When I started running at the beginning of the year, I could only manage 30 meters at first (laughs). It was cold outside, and just changing clothes and going out felt like a huge effort. So, without overthinking it, I decided to put on my running gear immediately after waking up.

A Method to Overcome by Ignoring Your Inner Voice

Humans, when it's cold, for example, might think, "It's cold this morning, maybe I'll go in the evening," or "The weather looks better tomorrow." We can come up with any number of excuses. Ah, at least in my case (laughs).

So, I decided not to prioritize my own feelings or emotions and to ignore my inner voice. In other words, perhaps it's about controlling my mind. While emotions and feelings are important, I believe that if one can learn to control them without being swayed, they can overcome the "three-day monk" syndrome.

The trick is to act mechanically, without listening to your inner voice. Then, before you know it, it becomes a natural part of your day, just like washing your face or brushing your teeth. Until then, the key is to "seal away" your feelings – that's the method I discovered for overcoming the "three-day monk" tendency.