Short Daily Update: Who’s up for evaporating overnight?
Week 2 - Day 9
Did you know that in Japan, there’s a term for people who disappear due to life’s pressures? They vanish overnight, never to be seen again. They’re called Johatsu—a word that translates to "evaporation." But beyond just a term, there are even specialized companies that help them relocate. My friend D., who shared this insight with me, joked that this is a brilliant business model that should exist in other parts of the world.
On a more serious note—isn’t this true? Aren’t there people completely stuck in relationships, jobs, debt, or personal situations that feel overwhelmingly trapping? It’s terrifying to imagine how that must feel. But in a way, isn’t this how many of us feel about work, productivity, and "making a living"? Don’t we all, at some level, wish to become Johatsu? It almost feels like the struggle of an entire generation— the tension between working to survive and dreaming of financial independence; climbing the corporate ladder for more comfort and dreaming of freedom; specializing in a high-paying field and dreaming about more time for creative and meaningful endeavors.
And on that note—my friend L., after reading yesterday’s newsletter, asked me: If I want to empower more people to make the most of their money, why not just write about it? Would that be interesting? I don’t consider myself an expert—I think it’s much more about mindset than hard financial knowledge. Maybe something to explore over the next few days.
Work Mood Tracker
On a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being terrible, 5 being awesome), today was a 2. Why?
I’ve been having so much fun writing on Substack and reading others’ work that the thought of spending the whole day doing something else felt a bit depressing this morning. So, I took the first half of the day slow—canceled a few meetings and gave myself some breathing room. The second half, however, was packed with back-to-back meetings and endless Slack messages.
One meeting stood out. We were exchanging insights between teams, discussing what worked well and what was challenging. But there was a moment that made me go ufff—I work in a highly specialized field, and I don’t know all the acronyms. I could learn them, but I’ve never felt it was the best use of my time as I tend to change fields every year or so. Still, when conversations get flooded with jargon, and I can’t keep up, my imposter syndrome creeps in.
I also felt the weight of leadership today—my team’s sharpness, speed, and energy often mirror mine. And lately, with my own energy running low, I can see that reflecting back.
It reminded me of the challenge DeepSeek gave me: How can I do more of what gives me energy? How can I make work more enjoyable? The only thing I know for sure is that it starts with rejecting more of what drains me - and that practice I started today.