blog - What I want to say

I finished a book "Leadership On the Line", which is a quite wonderful book! So, I'd like to first describe what I learned and will learn from this book on this blog. After that, a grand plan for my career, my commitment for rock-climbing, the relation between Barack Obama and me, Politics and History, future dreams, Accounting and IT, and so forth, I will mention here.

blog - Terrible Weight

My weight is not good. I've been trying to loose weight below 59kg, but still it's over 61kg (sometimes 60kg marked). Well, that's because maybe more muscle is equipped relatively than before, but in any case this figure is unacceptable. To win the coming competition, 58kg body must be earned.

Yesterday and today, I took alcohol. That should be blamed by the god of rock-climbing. Also I ate some bunch of meat (pork) under the urgent appetite of meat. To be healthier and live long, meat must be avoided as much as possible. On non-carbohydrate days, then what I should take in?

Well, rock-climbing challenges me in terms of nutritional excellence. I must overcome any unnecessary food habits. My physical body must be like iron. Fat should be gone. And at the same time, my spirit and passion should be energetic all days.

A challenge is coming.

blog - Chanllenges: Investment

I lost a lot of money in the process of the financial crisis. Actually, I don't loose anything though, my once huge profit is totally gone. But know this the world. I never abandon hope.

So, at the beginning of the year, I put this area's activity onto my resolutions. I'll rebuild my weakened portfolio (my portfolio is constituted mainly by Chinese stocks) by intensively evaluating bargain priced stocks.

And I still have an ambitious target that I will make 100 million yen through investing. That might have been a likely possible one, but at this very tough time though, I still remain faithful in the value investment method and the true meaning of capitalism.

I hold faith in the basic mechanism of money.

blog - Challenges: Leadership

A business trip I had in August 2008 made me think of leadership. I met a leader who was speaking about leadership and the life of strength. I was attracted and moved by him. I realized the sense of leadership.

One who are in his thirties should focus on honing his leadership, that's my opinion. At an organization, at a some group that you belong, at a PTA (Parents T... Association), you need leadership at a time when you want change. When you want to change something to its rightful place, when you want to make something better.

Leadership is what you need to get in to yourself. What if you don't wear this ability at work, with your family or with your friends? You should. You'd better. You must. And You can attain your leadership through the activity that you are willing to learn something new, something tough. A danger makes you tough, a greater leader. This should be kept in your mind.

Leadership, I should have.

blog - Challenges: Service

Obama opened up my mind. The sense of service and sacrifice is my target for 2009 and for my life. That's required in a today's world, especially for a person who has a wish of a better world. Then, I decided at the beginning of this year that I would make a donation 10 thousand yen a month. I did...

January: 10,000 yen to WikiPedia

February: 10,000 yen to WikiPedia

March: 10,000 yen to TBD

Service has a big meaning to me. Obama proved that he engaged in public with a selfless manner. I concern about the status of our nation's politics for far too long. If you have some kind of thought that you think you should do, you do it. Following the teaching, I move forward. I will put my service into the world.

The world is.

blog - Challenges: Change and Love!

I made a new year's resolution. That consisted of 7 parts. That is, English, Business, Climbing, Change and Love, Service, Leadership, and Investment. The most conspicuous thing is this; Change and Love...

I thought that Change is needed. Inspired by Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America, I sensed that change is also needed inside me, as well as in the world. I had undesireable things that had continued existing inside me for so long time, a portion such as fear or status quo. I must have thought my 2009 should be the year of Change and Hope. I'm going to follow the principle and his voice...

Change can bring new things to the government, the politics, and our lives. We can change our lives. We can start new things such as donating to some NPO, training our strengths, loving our friends. And Love, that can bring to us a new sense of resurgence and happiness. That surely makes us move to the next step. I'm happy to have this sense of, in the future, having a strong bond with somebody. I can see that actually.

Important thing, make you honest toward your own sense, past, present, and future.

blog - Challenges: Climbing

I'm a already good climber. I can send a 5.12a route and for bouldering, I can pass the first grade problem. Through its training, I have achieved unbelievable physical strength and mental power. My body is unmatched, and my mind is much stronger. It has been advanced according to a plan.

Now, I face a challenge. My next target is too high. That requires much more efforts and much more strengths. I need to train my body and my mind. A single arm pull up must be done easily, although I have not done yet despite three year effort. Fingers and arms I must put strength to. I will make them meet the demand of a higher grade.

Physical, mental, technique, and nutrition are keys to moving forward to the next step. I need to loose my weight below 59kg. I need to set concrete targets and achieve them for certain. Yes. I will have a competition in April, so I'm gonna win the first prize, making a revenge of the previous competition where I won the second prize.

Surely, I will devote myself to the rock-climbing area.

blog - Challenges: Business

I started a job-related activity (searching a new job) at the start of February. I visited several job consultant agencies, and applied for several opportunities. I failed once a position from one of the biggest software vendors in the world. The position fascinated me in terms of the product (the great CRM package) and the challenging work (Program Manager at R&D department). 

The failure made me disappointed, but soon I recovered and realized that the position requires a pure technical person. I have preference toward technologies of course, but it's not the one that meets the demand of the world class R&D position. For this several years, I've been putting a lot of efforts in other than technical area, such as business and English. So, I can accept the disappointed result as the world reflects truth.

But my journey's still going on. I'm now taking several opportunities ranging from Technical Support Engineer and Internal Project Manager to Project Manager at another largest IT vendor. Noticed by the failure for the previous opportunity, I started honing my technical skills once more. I'm reading a pro C# book, reading a network architecture, and preparing for my new project (which is that I build my own new service on the Internet).

A challenge makes my stronger and more enthusiastic.

blog - Challenges: English

As you know, English has been one of my biggest challenges in my professional life. As Japanese, I always feel learning English is quite tough for us. Lately, the irregularity of pronunciation annoys me so much! (e.g. why the intonation is different between offer and occur??)

But, the situation is changing. The hard push is making an impossible thing possible. Attaining 690 points on GMAT, I'm getting to be better off little by little, day after day. And these days, many times I am judged fluent in English, although it's far from native's.

Time and again, I struggled and depressed myself by the fact that I had not achieved my desirable target. Time and again, I felt powerless, helpless, and incompetent. But always, undaunted hope and unflinching determination have lifted me up from the darkness. Always.

Then I can conclude. I always struggle, fight, and accomplish. Something I accomplish.

Activity, job related

I've started job related activity since the beginning of February. I failed an opportunity, which was what I thought I'd really liked to do for for the first time. But understand, I'll never ever give my dream up for a petty expedience sake.

Through the process, I came to make firm my career plan. I realized what I truly want to do. Guided by the speech spoken by the greatest president ever, I found myself in a position to pursue my desirable happiness.

I had been feeling that there would be a nicer place for me. Rather, there would be a place where I exert more leadership, more courage, more technical excellence, and more enthusiasm. Feeling those kinds of thought, I decided something. I'll change my job again.

A life itself is amazing. A challenge itself is exciting. But the most important thing is what you can make realize in your life, what you do as much as possible in your life, what you put on your life. There must be various options in your life, but the range of possibility should be focused, and you need to begin your own journey especially in your thirties.

That's what I began in my thirties.

"The Leadership Challenge"

This is a kind of textbook. I can't see there any passion or any so-called big enlightenment, but this type of book brings to us a benefit of organizing thoughts. Here is the list of elements of how leadership works.

The Five Practices and Ten Commitments of Leadership

1. Model the Way

    - Clarify values by finding your voice and affirming shared ideals.

    - Set the example by aligning actions with shared values.

2. Inspire a Shared Vision

    - Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities.

    - Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.

3. Challenge the Process

    - Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve.

    - Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience.

4. Enable Others to Act

    - Foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships.

    - Strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence.

5. Encourage the Heart

    - Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence.

    - Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community.

That's it.