It is my firm belief through extensive personal experience that kaizen principles are by far the master key to personal development. Bold statement? Yes, but in this post I will show you exactly why “kaizen” is the single most important word in your self improvement toolbox, and how you can apply it to virtually anything in your life to get massive results quickly.
So what does the word kaizen mean? Well, it’s made up of 2 parts – “Kai” meaning change, and “Zen” meaning good.
Literally, “good change”, but in practice it is more commonly referred to as “slow, continuous improvement”.
Most folks are looking for instantaneous, drastic change in their lives. But unfortunately, life doesn’t usually work that way. It is the slow, steady work toward a desired outcome that has always produced the best results. Remember the tortoise and the hare fable from your childhood? It really is true.
What exactly are kaizen principles anyway?
As I discussed in my previous post, success comes down to the slight edge – taking one step at a time on a daily basis toward your goals.
Kaizen breaks this concept down a bit further by essentially saying that these “steps” do not have to be big ones. The important part is that we take them continually – ideally every day.
Here is a powerful video that explains this “inch by inch” concept beautifully. (Warning – there is some “colorful” language used in the clip, but the video content is excellent)
Kaizen in action
To drive the concept home for you, let me share three examples of how I apply kaizen principles in my own life:
1) This self improvement blog. With a full-time job, a wife and 3 kids I have an extremely full schedule. So, to stay on track with regularly posting high-quality content, I use the concept of 20 minute time blocks and write for 20-40 minutes each morning before my kids get up.
Sometimes it works perfectly, sometimes it doesn’t. The kids may get up early. There may be a pressing matter to attend to. But the point is, at least I am making forward progress on a continual basis if I stay disciplined with my schedule.
2) My workout schedule. Again using the 20 minute time block concept, I try to work out for 20 minutes, 6 days per week. I won’t be qualifying for the Boston Marathon anytime soon, but I am making forward progress with my health improvement plan.
3) My goals. I hate sounding so repetitive, but once again I use the 20 minute concept and work on my current major goal for 20 minutes per day. By simply doing this on a daily basis, I make progress every month on my goal achievement plan.
Can you see how these 20 minute time blocks fit perfectly within the kaizen principles of slow, continuous progress? That is the power of kaizen, because it is such an achievable way to reach your goals. It works like a champ, even with a hectic life and schedule. But it does require patience and consistent effort.
I’d like to end this post with one of my favorite quotes by Robert Collier that dovetails nicely with this powerful philosophy:
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out…”
That is the true essence of the kaizen principles and techniques, and my hope is that you use them daily to reach all of your desired goals in life.
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I have been a student and active participant in the field of personal development my entire adult life. Over time, I've been able to break free from mediocrity, depression, negative habits and sub-standard results in my life through the self improvement strategies and concepts you’ll find at ScottCofer.com.