Status Updates From The Will to Keep Winning

Next thing in a string of disappointing biographies: Daigo Umehara is born, goes to school, decides that he will in fact play video games very seriously, goes to an arcade in Tokyo, becomes Japanese Champion, somehow gets sent to America to fight Alex Valle, becomes World Champion, quits to work in a mahjong parlour for three years. The glue? Working real hard.

God bless Daigo, but this is a self-help book.

"When changing yourself, the trick is not to consider whether that change is for the better or for the worse. If you make a change and realize it's for the worse, just change again. The more important thing is to keep changing."

"It may seem contradictory, but, in my experience, letting go of winning encourages victory. When I enter a tournament now, I just want everyone to see me play."

After putting in the work to attain some result, I'd be relieved that it was all over and wanted to unwind for a while before starting up again. When my long-awaited rest finally came, however, it wasn't as enjoyable as I'd expected. Over the course of living that routine, the work had gradually become a real chore.
This underlines the importance of enjoying each day and keeping your efforts at a moderate level’

‘Of course winning is better than losing, but letting your emotional barometer swing too wildly with the wins and losses will hinder steady growth.’
—DAIGO UMEHARA, “The Will to Keep Winning”

the only thing that kept me connected to the real world and allowed me to engage with people on equal terms was my confidence in my own hard work