I’m just back from two and a half weeks in Japan. What a fascinating country.
Like most visitors, I was struck immediately by how clean, organised, and respectful everything felt. There’s a strong sense of collective responsibility. People queue properly, public spaces are looked after, and there seems to be an unspoken agreement that everyone should help things run smoothly.
Even simple things stood out. Crossing roads only on the green man, despite there often being no traffic in sight. Boarding trains with almost military efficiency because the graphic design and wayfinding are so good. On the Shinkansen, the same carriage stops in the same place every time, meaning passengers line up exactly where the doors will open. No chaos, no rushing, no confusion.
As someone who works in events, operations, and attendee experience, I found it fascinating. So much of what makes things work well isn’t complicated technology or grand gestures. It’s thoughtful planning, consistency, clarity, and designing experiences around human behaviour.
Holidays also give us something many of us rarely allow ourselves anymore: thinking space. When you step away from the constant noise of emails, deadlines, and operational pressure, your brain starts connecting dots again. You notice things differently. Ideas arrive. Problems suddenly feel solvable.
Years ago, I used to come back from trips like this wanting to change absolutely everything. New business ideas, new processes, new strategies, new habits. I’d return full of energy and immediately start trying to implement all of it at once.
The problem is that inspiration and good decision-making are not always the same thing. Over time, I’ve learned to slow that process down. Now, when ideas come to me, I write them down properly and leave them alone for a while. If they still feel relevant, practical, and important a month later, then I decide what I’m actually going to implement and when.
Occasionally the best thing you can bring back from a holiday isn’t a complete reinvention of your business or life. It’s simply a clearer mind.