In 2024, I Learned a Lot from Failures
（日本語版あり）
Below is the letter that I enclosed in this year’s Christmas cards.
I hope this letter finds you well.
2024 was a year in which I learned a lot from two projects that I put a lot of heart and soul into yet didn’t go as I had hoped.
The first was a project that I’ve been working on with my fellow colleagues in the legal profession. If successful, not only would it have been a crowning achievement of my career up until now, it also would have left a meaningful impact in the world of IT law in Japan. For two years I’d dedicated significant amount of time and effort into the project, but earlier this year, an irreparable breakdown in relationship with one of the members resulted in the project’s concluding in a fashion significantly less than to my liking.
Nothing good comes from sharing negative stories this time of the year so I’ll spare you the details, but needless to say, this incident significantly tested my character. Amidst all the sadness, chagrin, futility and anger that I felt, though, in the end, I was able to put aside emotions and prioritize what’s best for other members in completing the project. Having experienced first hand the difference between a low-caliber person who causes a lot of trouble for others and a magnanimous person who can be relied upon in times of need, I hope to live out the rest of my life in the latter category.
The second project was the launch of the website, www.joeseiji.com, to provide personal analyses of American politics in Japanese. Because this was the year of U.S. presidential elections, I hoped providing analysis not available anywhere else in Japan will result in my achieving some fame as a specialist in American politics. But alas, fame was not meant to be.
Interestingly, the few people who visited the site were more interested in commenting on the tremendous time and resources I was expending to maintain the site than on the quality of the content. I had initially started the site with a rather childish desire to achieve fame, but as similar comments rolled in, I was reminded that the key to persistence is in doing what you love rather than in seeking to get something.
Speaking of not going according to plan, I was again unable to achieve the next level in shogi. I do continue to play three games a day, though, and I’m fairly confident that I’m improving, albeit slowly and gradually, so here’s to hoping that small steps will lead to meaningful results soon.
2024 was unfortunately a year in which challenges didn’t result in desired outcomes, but I hope to remember the learnings from the setbacks and not be afraid to take on new challenges in 2025.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
