Introducing myself with numbers as a solo entrepreneur who quit my corporate job in my late 30s

Nice to meet you, my name is Ichi Sanada.

I am a father of two in my late 30s. I quit my corporate job to prioritize time with my family, and I am currently running my own company as a solo entrepreneur (in my 3rd year of business). I have shifted my life to prioritize parenting, and my current theme is balancing parenting and work—a difficult life challenge I am tackling. My goal is to continue this way of working until my oldest child is in the third grade of elementary school.

A normal self-introduction is too boring, so
I will introduce myself using numbers.

■ I wake up at 4:00 AM every morning
I have been waking up at 4:00 AM every day for about one to two years. I started this because when I became a parent, I realized that the only way to create time for myself was to wake up early and increase my available hours. My favorite time is the quiet morning when my family and society are still asleep, brewing coffee and focusing on writing or reading.

■ I am keeping a 3-year diary
I started writing a 3-year diary in January 2025. I am not sure if it is because I started parenting or because of my age, but I reached a point where I felt a sense of crisis about forgetting things in seconds, not just forgetting them after walking away. I get nervous at a casual remark from my wife: "You forget things so quickly, so you'll probably forget our memories together soon, too."

I have also posted over 400 articles on note. In this note, I want to leave a record of my "trial and error" and "steady persistence (daily routines)." I hope that by deepening my self-understanding through writing and sharing that process, I can be of help to others struggling in similar circumstances.

■ I read over 140 books a year
The secret to consistency is to make full use of the "gaps" in my day. By combining time spent boiling water for coffee, morning baths, morning runs, and "listening to books" while commuting, I am aiming to input over 200 books in 2026. My favorite books include historical novels by Ryotaro Shiba and works like "Kingdom" and "One Piece," which have supported my management style. I also hope to do business involving books in the near future.

■ I do something physically demanding once a year
For several years, I have made it a point to do something tough once a year. Challenges I have taken on so far include trail running (running 20-30km in the mountains) and 100km walks. Although I have faced setbacks, such as getting a herniated disc along the way, I recently challenged myself to my first full marathon and managed to finish it safely.

The accumulation of these numbers makes me who I am today.

■ What I will write about in this note

I aim to write articles that share these daily processes and serve as life hints for my past self, my children who will one day enter the workforce, and those who read this.

■ Values I cherish

"Persistence pays off." I believe that even without special talent, steadily stacking up what needs to be done and repeating small improvements will enrich one's life. Also, "prioritizing time with family." And, rather than being bound by someone else's rules, I live by cherishing the idea of "taking control of my own life and continuing to challenge myself with things only I can do."

I would be happy if we could build a gentle and warm relationship through this note. If you read an article and think "That's interesting" or "That was helpful," giving it a like, comment, or follow would be a great daily encouragement.

The numbers behind this lifestyle are still being published in my monthly financial reports.