At the end of last year, I met up with a friend from my university days. Despite everything, we’ve kept in touch for about 25 years now—a truly precious connection. Since I have very few friends from my student days, she’s practically the only long-lasting friend I have.

After entering the workforce, she showcased her natural brilliance and switched to a major company. Even after giving birth, she continued working and built a dazzling career that everyone envies. Meanwhile, I started my own business and have been running on sheer grit (laughs), so we’ve taken completely different paths, but we regularly meet up and share our stories.

Last year, she changed jobs again. She took on a super cool role in corporate planning at a well-known major company, earned recognition, and now works in Tokyo. Since I’m in Kansai, we don’t meet often, but we reunited at the end of last year.

Disrupt the Balance.

At that time, she shared this with me:

My boss told me, “Challenge yourself more. What are you so afraid of?” and it really made me think.

Then she asked:

“In my 30s, I heard the same from my previous job. Back then, my kids were still small, so I couldn’t challenge myself as I wanted. But now my kids have grown and are becoming more independent. Yet somehow, I still can’t take that step forward. How can I challenge myself like you do?”

I’m the type to act before thinking. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, and looking back, many were so laughably bad that I can’t help but chuckle. Still, I keep moving forward. I guess I just can’t sit still.

Right now, I’m probably working harder than ever in my life, running full throttle every day. Sometimes I think, “I wish I could slow down a bit,” but this is the time in my life to press the accelerator all the way down, absorb as much experience as possible, and grow.

Talking about this made me realize something again.

“If you’re not ready to upset the current balance, you can’t move forward.”

If protecting your balance becomes your top priority, you won’t achieve growth or great rewards. When you hit your 40s, you gain a certain status and stability, and after working so hard, you naturally don’t want to give that up.

But to take that next step and grow further both materially and spiritually, you need the resolve to disrupt your current “balance.” You might get dirty, embarrassed, and painfully reminded of your own immaturity. You might run out of time and become overworked.

For me, there was also the fear that spending even less time with my kids would mean I couldn’t be as good a mother as I am now. But if I don’t summon the courage to move forward, I won’t gain anything.

Just agonizing and worrying will only let time slip away without change.

So, starting last year, I threw myself fully into work, and as expected, I became overwhelmed, chased by time, and felt like water was spilling over the edges of a cup. But strangely, when that happens, people start seriously searching for ways to improve and do better.

I learned to rely more on those around me, delegate work, and focus on what only I can do. In my private life, I decided to always make dinner properly for my kids.

Seeing my kids happily say “This is delicious” made me realize how important that mother-child bond is. Also, by cooking dinner every day, my food expenses have been cut in half compared to when I used to buy prepared meals every day (laughs).

Once I learned to strike a good balance by easing up a bit, new challenges appeared, and I gained confidence thinking, “Even if the cup overflows again, I’ll manage somehow.”

Now Is the Time to Go All Out.

Looking back on my life, I feel there’s a cycle every 5 to 10 years of “now is the time to go all out” and “now is the time to put down roots.” Just as Japan has four seasons, life has its own seasons.

I’m sure I won’t be pushing the pedal to the metal for the next several decades. But right now is definitely a time to challenge myself. That’s why I want to give it my all without regrets.

A happy mom is essential for the whole family to enjoy life. Rather than worrying “What should I do?” or “Can I do it?”, living fully as an individual will surely turn life around.

Next time I meet that friend, I think I’ll talk about this with her (though by then, she’ll probably have already overcome this challenge).

And above all, since I still have a loan on my Taycan (laughs), I want to keep earning, growing, and running full speed ahead until the day I can enjoy a new chapter of my car life.