I Began Achieving Great Results After Adopting This Ancient Samurai Secret
Are you stuck in this habit?
I read an interesting story from James Clear about a German professor who pursued the art of archery in Japan.
The professor, Herrigel, had moved to Japan to teach philosophy in one of the local universities.
He had a desire to deepen his understanding of the Japanese culture. It would help him relate with his students better. Herrigel decided to learn the martial art of archery, kyudo, as it is known in Japan.
However, his teacher, Kenzo, a legendary samurai master, had his plan on how to train Herrigel.
For four years, Herrigel was only required to master shooting a roll of straw only seven feet away.
As James Clear tells the story, Herrigel was frustrated. “The pace of learning is just too slow!” he cried. After a heated debate with the teacher, Herrigel was finally allowed to shoot a target.
He had won, sort of.
Only to realize that he could not hit any of his targets. The more he shot, the further the arrows spread.
“I must be poor at aiming,” Herrigel consoled himself, feeling embarrassed as he faced his teacher.
Kenzo’s response to Herrigel is what struck me.
“It is not whether you aim but how you approach the task that determines the outcome.”
As a professor, Herrigel did not believe him. He challenged Kenzo to shoot targets when blindfolded to prove his thesis.
The two gentlemen would later meet at nightfall, where Kenzo placed the target at a distance.
Kenzo meticulously got into his routine. Set his feet at his usual stride and pulled the first arrow.
“I knew the arrow had hit the target by its sound.” Herrigel recalled later in the evening. Kenzo would later strike the first arrow, splicing it open in his second shot.
Herrigel had never seen this!
Hitting a double shot in the dark? What was the secret? How did Kenzo achieve such virtuosity?
The secret of achieving focus
What Kenzo relied on was a state of mind known as Zanshin, a concept rooted in martial arts that translates to “remaining mind” or “lingering mind.”
It refers to a state of relaxed alertness and awareness, both physical and mental, that is maintained before, during, and after a technique or movement.
What zanshin implies is that the fighter must be fully present and mindful, even after an action is completed, allowing for continuous readiness and adaptability.
Intentionality is everything.
Does your hard work end when you make $10,000?
Do you stop writing when you hit New York Bestseller?
Do you stop training when you achieve the perfect body?
The short answer, according to zanshin, is no. The battle of mastery is lost not in defeat but when you allow laziness or comfort to erode your concentration and commitment to the process.
The art of focus
While zanshin embodies continuous and holistic awareness, its principles manifest in diverse specific techniques.
One such technique employed in tennis and other ball games, such as basketball, is the quiet-eye technique, the cornerstone of sports vision coaching.
Basketball players focus on a specific part of the rim.
Golf players focus on the ball before the swing.
Goalkeepers focus on the ball during penalty kicks.
As in sports, our productivity relies on how well we can focus.
Do you start your task, and in a few minutes, your eyes shift to a distraction? It could be anything—social media, your phone, or a movement in the environment.
Whenever you shift your attention away from the task at hand, you relinquish control of its outcomes.
Just as Herrigel’s arrows went astray when his focus shifted away from the diligent and patient process of drawing and releasing, focusing instead on the immediate outcome of hitting the target, our own efforts will scatter when we lose a consistent focus on the work itself.
When we no longer care about whether writing that book will bring in money and decide to only develop something that will benefit others, we fall in love with the process.
Only then can we continue showing up even after we achieve the goals we set.
Follow the advice of Kenneth Kushner, who says
“One should approach all activities and situations with the same sincerity, the same intensity, and the same awareness that one has with bow and arrow in hand.”
Fall in love with the process of doing the work and consistently showing up even after winning.
You will find that success will be a direct side effect.
This intentionality, this ‘falling in love with the process,’ is particularly important in endeavors such as building a career writing online.
It’s not about hitting a certain follower count or earning a specific income; It’s about showing up consistently, refining your craft, and delivering value, day after day.
If you are looking to build a side income alongside your 9–5, build discipline and focus in your online writing career, and create a meaningful connection with your audience, consider joining a writing club.
I am a testament to joining a writer’s club.
A club is unlike a course, which does not guarantee that you will achieve the transformation you seek.
Instead, you are taught proven strategies to hook readers and guided as you write through consistent feedback.
One of the students who invested in the club had this to say:
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve made to improve my writing. The first session was full of practical tips and simple, implementable steps. Using them transformed my writing quality immediately. And the biggest help is the feedback you provided on my writing samples.”
I would love for you to build your side income alongside your 9–5 with mentorship that truly works and can help you transform your online writing career.
I want to join the writers’ club.
That's it for now.
Watch out for next week’s productivity insights in your inbox.
As always, fresh ideas are welcome. Please feel free to send in your feedback, thoughts, questions, and suggestions—I read them all!
If you want to pass this newsletter on to a friend, here's a link to make it easier.
Catch you again soon.
Have a great day :)
This piece does something powerful... It connects the ancient with the modern in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Interesting how it aligns with what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described in his research on flow.
That mental state where challenge and skill are balanced, and full presence becomes its own reward. We talk a lot about hustle, but very little about this quiet discipline. And it’s probably the single biggest differentiator between those who peak once and those who sustain performance for decades.
Great post, resonates with me about my struggle with discipline when learning. Thanks for the knowledge!