Narrowing Down What Needs to Be Done: Finding What to Quit for the Sake of What Truly Matters (Bite-size Article)

Introduction

Many people today find themselves overwhelmed with too much to do, making it difficult to focus on what truly matters. Checking social media, reading self-help books, managing excessive tasks... All of these may have started as "good things", but when they fail to deliver the expected results, we often continue them out of habit, unable to stop. This is an experience that many can likely relate to.

Daigo Umehara, the renowned professional fighting gamer known as "The Beast", was once asked about the secret to becoming strong in fighting games. He replied, "Isn't it about how much weaker you can become in everything besides fighting games?" This simple yet profound statement carries deep insight. It implies that to succeed as a fighting game player, one must deliberately let go of everything else. To aim for the top in a specific field, one cannot afford to spread themselves thin; they must dedicate all their energy to mastering a particular skill.

This saying offers a valuable lesson that can be applied to our daily lives as well. Choosing to let go of certain things is an essential process that allows us to concentrate on what truly matters most.

Sunk Cost Fallacy: The Psychological Trap That Hinders the Decision to Quit

When it comes to bad habits or irregular routines, it's relatively easy to identify them as wasteful and stop them. However, when we need to quit something that we once began with high hopes, it can be much harder depending on the situation. One reason we struggle to let go of things we’ve already started is the sunk cost fallacy. This psychological phenomenon occurs when we continue a pursuit, despite knowing it won’t yield results, simply because we fear the time and money we’ve invested will be wasted.

For example, if you’ve spent months working on a project, even when you realize it’s likely to fail, you hesitate to quit because it feels like throwing away all the effort you’ve already put in. But since the resources you’ve invested are unrecoverable, holding onto that project is actually irrational.

Daigo Umehara’s concept of "becoming weaker" is, in fact, a choice that goes against the sunk cost fallacy. His words suggest that in order to reach the top of the fighting game world, he consciously distanced himself from all other activities. There’s no hesitation in his decision to let go of past investments. Instead, by cutting ties with distractions, he enhances his focus and devotes his full energy to what truly matters.

In the same way, for us to focus on what we really need to be doing, we must be willing to let go of “unnecessary” or “excess” activities. No matter how much effort we’ve put into them, quitting them allows us to gain the strength to move forward.

Steps to Narrow Down What Needs to Be Done

So how can you identify what to quit and focus on what truly matters? Here are some steps to help you streamline your efforts:

1. Reevaluate Your Values and Goals
   First, take a moment to reflect on what is truly important to you. Separate short-term desires and pleasures from long-term goals, and clarify where you should be spending your time and energy.

2. List Non-Productive Habits and Tasks
   Review your daily routines and how you spend your time. Identify which activities are truly valuable and which ones aren’t. Evaluate if you’re spending excessive time on things like checking social media or working on projects that aren’t delivering results.

3. Be Aware of the Sunk Cost Fallacy
   It’s crucial not to be swayed by the feeling of, "Will all the time and effort I’ve invested go to waste?" Instead of clinging to past investments, assess your current situation and the future potential to decide whether to continue or quit.

4. Embrace the Courage to "Become Weaker"
   As Umehara suggests, by consciously letting go of unnecessary pursuits, you can gain the focus and energy to concentrate on what truly matters. Quitting is not a sign of failure, but rather a step forward toward progress.

Conclusion

The reason why I write this article is because I found it striking that Daigo Umehara used the phrase "becoming weaker" — typically a negative expression — in a positive, forward-looking way. There's a famous story that, in his younger years, Umehara spent 363 days a year honing his skills in the arcade, continuing this routine for several years. In a sense, this meant sacrificing normal social life and activities outside of gaming. For him, "becoming weaker" meant letting go of everything outside of games, and it was likely this choice that allowed him to grow into one of the world’s top fighting game players.

Personally, I don’t believe that such a hyper-focused mindset applies to everything. However, many people, myself included, find that juggling too many tasks can become overwhelming and exhausting, which is a common experience in today’s society.

Regardless of the extent, as Umehara's words suggest, boldly choosing to let go of certain things could be a path to becoming stronger. Narrowing down what truly matters and focusing on what brings the most value could be the fastest route to success. If you're feeling overwhelmed right now, perhaps it’s time to pause and reflect on what you need to let go of.

Thank you for reading!