Reading Notes: 'You Can Only Be Serious About What You Love: Survival Work Skills for the 100-Year Life Era' by Akiyuki Minami

Tadashi Shigeoka ·  Sun, October 4, 2020

I read ‘You Can Only Be Serious About What You Love: Survival Work Skills for the 100-Year Life Era’ (『好きなことしか本気になれない。 人生100年時代のサバイバル仕事術』), so I’ll share the insights I gained from the book.

『好きなことしか本気になれない。 人生100年時代のサバイバル仕事術』 南章行

Background: Book by Coconala's CEO

I read this because Coconala CEO Minami’s book was available on Kindle Unlimited 😊

Below are quotes and notes from memorable passages.

Chapter 1: What Will Certainly Change in the 100-Year Life Era

What Is the "Individual Power" to Work Until Age 80?

Rather than becoming #1 among 1,000 people, if you multiply three skills where you're #1 among 10 people, you can become the only rare talent among 1,000 people as a result. Find and update new areas where you can be "#1 among 10 people."

😊 This way of thinking can be referenced for career development in any profession.

Have Self-Leadership

People can work hard at things they love, and jobs you love, are good at, and can work hard at have a higher probability of earning a lot of money. To work for a long time, you should find things that excite you rather than endure. In that sense, you should run away with all your might from things your heart rejects.

😊 You need the ability to identify work that you love, are good at, and can work hard at.

Chapter 2: Growth Is Proportional to the "Number of Decisions"

Increase the Number of Decisions to Improve Skills

The root of dissatisfaction was "nobody is watching me."

😊 I want to consciously watch and praise people.

Chapter 3: Keep Moving with Self-Leadership — Working Methods to Acquire Skills and Find "Your Own Values"

When You're Cornered, You Understand Your "Skills"

When I was beaten down and thought "What are my strengths?", what I remembered was "Ricardo's comparative advantage theory" that I learned in economics.

😊 “Ricardo’s comparative advantage theory” — I had been practicing this unconsciously. Focusing on things that others are weak at or don’t do also seems to fit this theory.

Chapter 4: Living Your Own Story — Thinking About 21st Century Career Development

What "Dual Career" with NPO Taught Me

However, the president was furious enough to tell me to quit the company if I was going to do NPO work. "Minami, you should understand how harsh the fund world is. Even in today's rock-bottom economy, we don't know if we can win even with 120% mindset, and if your mindshare is taken by other things, we can't do anything." The president's idea that the problem wasn't time or money but mindshare made sense to me. Indeed, I understand that it's meaningless unless you do it seriously. Even if you're seriously facing your PC, if you're thinking about something else, it won't be work.

😊 Mindshare is a precious resource

That’s all from the Gemba, where I want to properly control my own mindshare.