How to navigate impatience with health progress

A Japanese consideration for how to approach personal health goals

Kaki Okumura
4 min readSep 1, 2023

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Many people join my newsletter because they are working towards a health goal. Often this is weight loss, becoming stronger, having more energy, or simply wanting to feel better in their body so they can live life more freely.

These are great goals, and important goals that I write for and work to support each and every week.

Illustrations by Kaki Okumura

The thing about our health however is that it is not something that changes overnight. This is not a bad thing, but it takes time– and in that process, it’s easy to feel frustrated, confused, tired, and lost. Many people define this as impatience, but I find that it often doesn’t have anything to do with morals.

There is a way that anyone can find patience with their health goals, and not just tolerate it, but also enjoy the process of self-care.

But first, let me talk about doors.​

The Japanese art of fixing things

I was calling my friend in New York, and he was recently describing to me how the door to his porch broke.

“Would you believe how much I was told it would cost to repair?”​

“What, like a few…

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Kaki Okumura

Born in Dallas, raised in New York and Tokyo. I care about helping others learn to live a better, healthier life. My site: www.kakikata.space 🌱