I teach about health inspired by simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so you can learn to find peace, fulfillment, strength, and health in your own body. Sign up for my newsletter to receive all my writing and exclusive resources!
The most important thing about any big, lofty, ambitious goal
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Dear Reader, I’m writing this on Thursday, but by the time you’re reading this I should be running… THE NYC MARATHON! (It’s my first one). The most important thing about any big, lofty, ambitious goal When I tell people I’m running a marathon, most people react with a variant of the following question: “Why?” And it’s a good question. Not only is the race itself physically challenging, it takes a lot of time to train for a marathon, and a non-insignificant amount of money. For several weekends, I’ve had to decline social gatherings just so I could train, running alone outside for several hours - in the cold, in the rain, and in the heat. A high cost, for what purpose? There is no purpose to running 26.2 miles (or about 42km). Well, I’m simplifying the truth when I say that - we all have our personal reasons for running - but at face value, no one ever asks you to run a marathon. It’s always a personal choice. And it’s a choice that leads to a hard, taxing, long, and challenging journey, but somehow every year, hundreds of thousands of people want to do it - this year, there were over 240,000 applicants for the NYC marathon, for a coveted 60,000 available slots. A lot of people want to do it. The purpose in any challenging goal we set for ourselves So if there is no purpose to running 26.2 miles, then the only purpose that exists is that simply there is joy in doing so. It can be hard to believe that there is joy in such a challenge, but there is. It’s made me think about the purpose to almost any big, lofty, ambitious goal - and the most important goals we set for ourselves will not be the goals that others set for us, but the goals that we simply want to do. And the most important thing is to enjoy the process of it. To paraphrase an idea I read from the book, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, the quality of life can’t be measured by something so objective as a score, result, or ranking. Instead, it exists and is felt in the act itself. Even in acts that feel like a pointless effort (like running a marathon), the truth is that I worked hard at it and gave it my all, and that truth is lasting on my quality of life. As the end of the year approaches, I know that a lot of us are beginning to reflect on our year, and are thinking about our goals for the next. Maybe you have a health goal, a career goal, a relationship goal, or something else. But as you think about the things you want to accomplish, make sure that it meets the most important thing: You want to do it, even if just for the sake of doing it. Because the only purpose that truly matters is that you enjoy the process. Wish me luck! I hope to see you at the finish line. Warmly, Kaki What would make the biggest difference for you next year? → Feeling less rushed and more present Just hit reply and tell me which one sounds most like you (or if it’s something else entirely). And if you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear what that looks like for you these days. I’ll be reading every reply, probably with very sore legs 🙂 Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please forward this email to your friends and family (or share the article) 🌱 If this email was forwarded to you, it's nice to meet you 😊
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Hi, I'm Kaki!
I teach about health inspired by simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so you can learn to find peace, fulfillment, strength, and health in your own body. Sign up for my newsletter to receive all my writing and exclusive resources!
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