All problems are a matter of 'order'!
The moment you know the order, everything goes smoothly.

This book persistently delves into the importance of 'order', something we often overlook, through various examples and reasons.
From Eastern and Western proverbs and sayings, to corporate strategy, interpersonal relationships and studies, to emotions and daily life, it offers insights that permeate every area.


The author says, “There is value in order.
“Our perception, hierarchy, and judgment are embedded in the order of words, the order of work, and the order of life.”
It is not a simple story of order or procedure.
Order is the frame, the process, the efficiency, and further the basis of respect and trust.
Above all, the greatest significance of this book is that it attempts to restore 'order' as a form of liberal arts.
It shows the order not simply as a manual to be followed, but as a 'philosophy' and 'structure' of life for thinking properly and living properly.
In particular, it is composed of nearly 250 short essays, so you can immediately gain deep thought and empathy no matter which page you open.
An essential guide for leaders and organizations, parents and teachers, and anyone who feels lost.

We write our birthdays in the order of year, month, and day.
It's like October 30, 1956.
America is different.
The first thing that comes up is the date of birth, followed by the month of birth, and finally the year.
When I first went to America, I thought it was really strange.
Even when it came to sending mail, it was different for us.
We are located at Bangbae-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul.
Write the city, the district you live in, and at the end, the neighborhood and the number of apartments.
In the United States, apartment numbers and names are written first, then the district name, and finally the city.
Why is that?

I think it's a result of individualism and collectivism.
In a collective culture like ours, large organizations come first.
There is a country, a city, a district, and only then can one reveal one's own number.
It implies that the organization comes before the individual.
But in an individualistic culture like America, the individual comes first.
Isn't that why they prioritize personal information? Of course, that's just my opinion.

--- p.23~24

Mind control means controlling the mind to do something.
I've been hearing about it for a long time and it seems like a lot of people still find it useful.
But every time I hear this, I have doubts.
Can a heart be moved? How can it be moved? Have I ever experienced something like that? I can't quite remember.
It sounds plausible, but I have a feeling something isn't right.
I would recommend controlling your body rather than your mind.
The most honest thing in the world is the body.
The body doesn't lie.
If you eat too much for a few days, you will inevitably gain weight and your body will become heavy and saggy.
Conversely, if you eat lightly and exercise for a few days, your body will feel light as if it could fly.
The body doesn't lie, but the mind does.
When you meet someone you like, your body reacts first.
I feel excited and my body moves towards that person.


Body first, mind second.
You can control your body, but it is difficult to control your mind.
No matter how much you want to study, you can't study if you're tired.
I'm sitting at my desk, but it's hard to focus.

--- p.89

In the past, large organizations beat small organizations, but these days, fast organizations beat slow organizations.
This is because technological and market changes are so rapid.
So there's a lot of talk about agile organizations.
Agile is often translated as nimble.
It means responding quickly to market changes.
But the word agility is interesting.
Min is fast, Cheop is victorious.
The meaning that you have to be fast to win is already hidden in the word.

--- p.105

The word "拔萃" means to pull out and "萃" means to gather.
It means that you don't collect and then draw, but draw first and then collect.
The English word for excerpt is extract, but it does not mean to collect, but only to pull out.
But what should you choose and what shouldn't? You need to be able to choose the core.
You should be able to pick out only the most valuable ones and discard the rest.
But that's not normal.
Having been a book reviewer for over 20 years, I unconsciously make excerpts.
I'm most concerned about what to pick.
The rest is roughly taken.
Collect the selected items, sort them in order, refine them, and summarize them.
I really like the word excerpt.

--- p.111~112

Backcasting means working backwards.
Backcasting enabled humans to achieve the first moonshot.
NASA took humankind's arrival on the moon as a given and worked backwards to figure out what steps would be needed to get there.
Amazon takes a similar view of its products, looking back from the future.
Amazon employees write press releases about products that don't exist yet.
The press release includes a six-page list of frequently asked questions customers are likely to ask.
This exercise forces even the expert team to look at the product from a non-expert perspective.


Ultimately, experts need to ask "stupid" questions and come up with smart answers before a product is manufactured and released.

--- p.115~116

I think being busy is being lazy.
The result of being lazy is that a lot of urgent things happen.
Accidents keep happening because we don't do what we need to do in advance.
So what should we do?

First, we need to redefine what it means to be busy.
We must realize that being busy is not a sign of competence, but of laziness.
Being busy isn't the point.
You have to consider why you are busy and whether the work is worth it.

Second, you should check the calendar often.
There is something I say most often when looking at the calendar.
“No, half a year has already passed.” “No, a whole year has already passed.”
If you turn that around, it is a word of regret and self-reflection, like, “I haven’t even properly achieved my goal and haven’t even started what I wanted to do. What should I do?”
Looking at the calendar means revisiting the precious goals you set at the beginning of the year.


Third, we must move beyond time management to life management.
The worst time management I can think of is overcrowding.
There is no gap at all.
If one schedule is delayed or disrupted, it affects all subsequent schedules, causing the entire schedule to fall apart.
Time management is a tool for life management.
Don't get caught up in the short term; you should look at life from a macro perspective periodically.

--- p.121