Input with the goal of output

Hello.
This is Aoyagi.

Lately, I've come to realize the importance of reflecting on my past self, so I've been rereading my own columns.

This week, I'd like to share what I've noticed from that.

It's the idea of "input with an output mindset."


It's been about a year and a half since I decided to write a column every week.

Looking back, I realize that no matter what I'm doing—

The scenery during my commute.
Conversations with others.
Events at work.

I'm always thinking, "This could be material for my column."




When I was a child, most of the time I would just "input":

Playing was fun.
Food was delicious.
TV was interesting.


However, as I've gotten older, I find myself increasingly looking at things with the question, "Can I make use of this for something?"


Thinking about it again, it's similar to how skaters view the city.

To ordinary people, it's just stairs, handrails, curbs, and walls.

But to skaters, it looks like this:

"Can I jump these stairs?"
"It would be cool if I could grind this handrail."
"I'll wax the curb in my neighborhood and do slappies."

When I visit an unfamiliar city even now, I get excited, perhaps because I'm looking at the city from that perspective.

In a way, I'm still a child. (laughs)




Of course, I'm not saying that input alone is bad.

However,

Even if you see the same scenery,
Read the same book,
Talk to the same person,

Just having a slight mindset of:

"Is there anything I can incorporate into my work?"
"When I write a column, how can I make it easy to understand?"

I feel it makes things more interesting.


If you've been feeling like your days are a bit the same lately,

I recommend spending a day with the mindset of:

"Is there any material here?"