How to Read “If you forget the matter in the morning, you lose the achievement in the evening”
Ashita ni sono koto wo wasurureba, yūbe ni sono kō wo ushinau
Meaning of “If you forget the matter in the morning, you lose the achievement in the evening”
This proverb means that if you don’t seriously tackle things from the morning, you won’t get results by evening.
The important point isn’t just waking up early. It’s about the attitude of starting your day with dedication and focus.
The word “forget” here doesn’t just mean losing something from memory. It means treating something carelessly or not taking it seriously.
In other words, if you start the morning with a half-hearted attitude, you won’t get good results no matter how much time you spend.
People use this proverb when talking about work, study, or pursuing life goals. It teaches that your initial approach determines the outcome when you try to achieve something.
Even today, this wisdom matters greatly when starting projects or beginning new challenges.
Your mindset at the beginning—the morning—decides the success of that entire day and the whole endeavor. This proverb sharply points out the relationship between time and results.
Origin and Etymology
The exact source of this proverb has several theories. However, its style and expression suggest influence from classical Chinese philosophy.
The contrast between “morning” and “evening” and the clear cause-and-effect structure are typical of East Asian didactic literature.
The use of “the matter” and “the achievement” is particularly noteworthy. “The matter” refers to tasks or goals you should tackle.
“The achievement” means the results or fruits of your efforts. This correspondence forms the core of the proverb’s meaning.
The idea that you must start the morning with dedication has long connected deeply with Japanese work ethics and spiritual discipline.
The classical expression “forget” is also interesting. It doesn’t simply mean erasing from memory.
It carries the nuance of not putting your heart into something or treating it carelessly.
This means if you don’t face things seriously in the morning, you’ll gain nothing by evening. The proverb teaches both time management and proper mindset.
This wisdom has been passed down as practical knowledge. It teaches how crucial your starting attitude is within the flow of a single day.
Usage Examples
- They say if you forget the matter in the morning, you lose the achievement in the evening, so let’s give our all to this new project from day one
- With exam prep too, if you forget the matter in the morning, you lose the achievement in the evening—the initial planning is key
Universal Wisdom
The truth this proverb speaks lies in the special feeling humans have toward “beginnings.”
We all experience unique tension and anticipation when starting something. But we also have the weakness of treating that beginning carelessly.
Why do people undervalue the first step? Because the time ahead seems infinite.
At the morning start of a day, much time still remains. That sense of abundance actually loosens our resolve.
“I can do it later” or “There’s still time”—these thoughts steal away our seriousness.
But our ancestors understood something important. The strength of heart you put into the beginning moment determines everything that follows.
If your first step is vague, that vagueness won’t disappear no matter how much time you spend.
Conversely, if you pour full effort into the beginning, that momentum and concentration continue until the end.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because no other words express the relationship between time’s flow and human psychology so accurately.
The contrast between morning and evening isn’t just about time passing. It symbolizes the relationship between choices and consequences in life itself.
Cherishing beginnings is the same as cherishing life. This proverb teaches us this truth quietly yet powerfully.
When AI Hears This
Just as a cleaned room becomes messy if left alone, the universe has an absolute law: “Order naturally collapses.”
This is the law of entropy increase. Hot coffee always cools down. Organized information becomes confused. Buildings inevitably deteriorate.
In other words, without action, everything moves toward disorder.
The phenomenon this proverb shows—”forget morning effort and evening results disappear”—is exactly this physical law applied to human society.
For example, English vocabulary you memorized fades without review. This happens because the “order” of neural circuits in your brain returns to a random state when unused.
Memory research shows that about 70 percent of unreviewd information is lost within 24 hours.
What’s interesting is that human effort is “the act of investing energy to maintain order.”
Studying, working, and exercising are all battles to maintain order against nature’s flow.
Life itself is a “negative entropy device” that maintains internal order through energy replenishment called eating.
This proverb expresses through human experience what the universe’s laws teach: “Order cannot be maintained without continuous energy input.”
To sustain morning effort until evening requires the resolve to keep resisting physical laws.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern you is that you should put maximum effort into the beginning moment.
In our busy daily lives, we tend to start things by habit. Opening emails, attending meetings, beginning study.
Are you truly putting your heart into each of these everyday actions?
In modern society, multitasking is normal and we’re constantly chasing something. That’s exactly why this proverb’s teaching shines brightly.
No matter how small the task, deciding “I’ll fully face this now” at the starting moment changes its quality dramatically.
When you wake up in the morning, when you start a new project, when you meet someone important—put your heart into all these beginnings.
Not “I’ll work hard later,” but the attitude of “now, from here” will change your day and your life.
Time flows equally for everyone. But how you use that time is decided by your heart at the beginning moment.
Welcome today’s morning with care. The seriousness you put into it will return to you by evening as certain fruit.
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