I’d like to share a few of my own modest experiences. Looking back on my younger days—changing jobs, starting a business, getting married (with my beloved baby on the way), and moving to a new place—it seems that not a single one of these things was achieved through meticulous planning. More often than not, an opportunity would arise; I’d sense or see that the timing was right, and although I’d feel anxious, I’d grit my teeth and take the plunge. And that’s just how life goes—a single decision gradually shifts your direction and leads you into a new environment. It’s actually the less important little things—such as what to eat today, what to buy, or where to go for fun—that we tend to mull over and compare endlessly. These are insights I’ve gradually come to realise after living for many years.

When I was younger, it was much the same when I joined my husband in setting up our business. Throughout his life, my husband set himself many goals: how to run the business, what sales figures to achieve, how much cash to save, how many high-street shops to open, what turnover to reach, and how much profit to make. He had thought through all of these and set them as targets. But the number of goals he actually achieved was surprisingly few; if anything, they were merely minor, insignificant matters. On the contrary, he accomplished a great deal in areas that hadn’t been included in his original goals, and in those areas, he actually achieved quite a high standard. I also noticed that whenever he underwent a significant change or achieved some success in his business, these achievements were always things he hadn’t set out to do in the first place.

It really is rather strange. When we were young, we were often told that one must set goals, make proper plans, and know exactly where one wants to be and what one wants to achieve in a few years’ time. But later on, I found myself wondering: just how many people actually manage to follow their set goals step by step all the way to the end? Of course, I don’t know what it’s like for others, nor can I speak for their experiences. Today, I’m simply sharing the reality of my own journey, in the hope that these experiences might offer you a slightly different perspective. I’m not saying that setting goals is a bad thing. On the contrary, I believe one should still know the direction in which one wishes to head. It’s just that, rather than constantly focusing on specific outcomes, I now pay more attention to whether I’ve cultivated some good habits.

Because very often, as soon as we set a goal, we unconsciously start thinking: ‘If I do this every day, the results will gradually improve, and things will get better and better.’ It’s just like exercise or running a business. In business, it’s not as though if you make a thousand today, the next step is to make two thousand, then three thousand, then ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand—as if you’re always climbing upwards, getting better and better, as though everything should just keep going up. Exercise is the same. We tend to think: ‘I’ve started exercising, so my body should get better and better’; ‘I’ve started eating healthily, so my body should become healthier and healthier’; ‘My blood test results from my medical check-up – the next time I have a blood test, they’ll always be better and better; the results should look increasingly good.’

But reality is often not like that. It’s more like a rollercoaster – there are ups and downs. People still fall ill suddenly. You might wonder: ‘I exercise every day, so why am I still getting ill?’ ‘I’m already eating so healthily, so why do I still feel unwell here, or have inflammation there?’ Business is the same. I’ve been working so hard to keep the shop open every day; I’ve been working so hard on sales; I’ve been running the company diligently every day, barely taking any time off—so why are there still times when the company isn’t making a profit? My products are already very cheap, so why won’t customers buy them? I’ve been very good to my staff, so why do they still leave?

These situations are, in fact, simply reality. It’s also a blind spot that I later realised is all too easy to fall into when focusing solely on goals. This is because, when setting goals, we often implicitly assume one thing: that as long as I work hard, everything should move in a positive direction, and things will keep getting better and better, reaching ever greater heights. But life isn’t a straight line that goes up all the time. So now I actually feel that establishing habits and setting goals are two quite different things.

Goals make us focus solely on the outcome. Habits do not. A habit means that, regardless of whether today’s outcome is good or bad, or whether I’m at a high or a low point, I’ll still carry on doing what needs to be done properly. When business is good, I do my best; when business is bad, I still do my best. Because that is my daily routine: when I’m feeling well, I look after myself; when I’m not feeling well, I still look after myself; because that is my habit. Of course, I don’t expect to be perfect every time, nor do I expect every outcome to meet my expectations. I simply believe that if you stick to good habits over the long term, in time they will, without you even realizing it, lead you to the places you originally wanted to go.

So, as things stand, I’ve lost count of how many years it’s been since I last sat down properly to write down, in earnest, the goals I must achieve or the vision I must realise in the coming years. Instead, I now find myself asking: where can I do better? Where can I improve? What habits should I gradually cultivate? What behaviors and habits do those who are more accomplished than me exhibit in their daily lives that are worth emulating? I’m becoming increasingly convinced that, when life presents you with matters of true importance, it often doesn’t give you much time to prepare. Nor is it possible to anticipate every single risk before setting out on a new endeavor. After all, many paths only become clear as you walk along them. So there’s no need to constantly worry that you’re not sufficiently prepared. If the direction is right and the timing is about right, be brave and take that first step. If you encounter problems along the way, adjust as you go; if you come across something you don’t understand, learn from it; and if you take a slight wrong turn, it doesn’t matter—simply correct your course.

As long as you know in your heart where you want to go, and are willing to gradually cultivate some good habits, I believe that, over time, many things will eventually fall into place, bit by bit.

( Translated from the original Chinese text )

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