Kaizen: Baby Steps to Self-Improvement
The destination of long-term changes isn't an overnight journey.
This is why you often fail at self-improvement, reverting to your default state. It's the rollercoaster of transformation; you get motivated, work on progress, but then you have a bad day, which leads to another, and the next thing you know, you're back at day zero. Bill Murray might be able to give you some advice on repeating the same thing over and over again.
Not everything can be done cold turkey.
The Japanese have a philosophy known as "Kaizen" that focuses on continuous improvement. It's the idea of improving in small increments daily, like in James Clear's book Atomic Habits, to improve 1% each day.
The word Kaizen breaks down into two Japanese words:
Kai = Change
Zen = Good
Kaizen translates to "change for the better" or "continuous improvement."
There is more to it than simply making incremental changes daily. They treat it like a system, and it's used not only for personal improvement but also in business.
Kaizen System of Improvement
Continuous, Incremental Improvement
Everyone is Involved
Process-Oriented Thinking
Standardization
Eliminating Waste (Muda)
Reflection (Hansei) and Feedback Loops
Continuous, Incremental Improvement
Kaizen emphasizes making small, ongoing changes rather than massive overhauls. Over time, these minor improvements accumulate, resulting in significant progress.
Similar to the idea of compounding interest in your investment account.
Let's say you want to read more; you would start by reading one page a day, then increase to two, and eventually five, and so on.
You want to take baby steps at first before making longer strides.
Everyone is Involved
Companies in Japan push the idea of Kaizen from the bottom up. It's not limited to managers or executives; they want it to reach every employee, encouraging them to identify areas of improvement and suggest changes.
It's not just companies pushing for self-improvement. Individuals seeking Kaizen ask others to help identify areas for improvement and encourage them to do the same for themselves.
I like to think of it as a community-building experience with a focus on self-improvement. It brings people together.
Process-Oriented Thinking
It's more than just focusing on results. Kaizen zeros in on improving the process. Perfecting the process will deliver better results. This prevents quick fixes that will not last or might cause long-term damage.
If you're trying to eat healthier meals, you will stumble your way in the beginning. Learning what foods are better than others. Finding that what you thought was healthy may only be so in tiny amounts. Eventually, you discover better meal plans and meal prep, thus improving your process.
Learning, growing, and improving is the core idea.
Standardization
As you improve your process, it becomes standardized. The new standard becomes the baseline from which further improvement can grow.
Using the example of eating healthier, you will discover a great way to prepare and enjoy wholesome, balanced meals efficiently. This becomes the standard. As that settles in, you learn about another way that further improves your meal prep process, or a way to make meals more balanced. These become standardized and so on.
New standards are the solutions to problems you've solved. This allows you to share your knowledge with others who are a step or two behind you, rolling this step back into the system and reinforcing the concept of "Everyone is Involved."
Eliminate Waste (Muda)
Kaizen often involves eliminating waste. This is a waste of time, materials, and effort. Think of it as being more efficient.
Muda is a Japanese term meaning "waste" or "futile". Companies like Toyota refer to Muda as the waste that comes from activities that consume resources but don't add value.
This can also be applied to our personal lives. I like to think of social media apps and mind-numbing games as Muda.
Reflection (Hansei) and Feedback Loops
Introspective review, or as the Japanese say, "Hansei," is at its heart the practice of acknowledging mistakes, identifying areas of improvement, and taking responsibility for both the good and the bad. This is the core cultural and philosophical principle in both Kaizen and the broader Japanese thinking.
Take responsibility for your mistakes. If you take a step back in your progress, acknowledge it, learn from it, and then move forward with improvements to help keep you on track.
Regular self-reflection and feedback are central to self-improvement. After making changes, reflect on what worked, what didn't work, and what can be improved further.
A feedback loop of progression.
The concept of Kaizen isn't new, and at its core, it's something we all strive for. My research has given me greater respect for these Japanese philosophies and the people who adhere to them.
Improving with baby steps every day is the best way to compound your growth throughout a lifetime. If you struggle with self-improvement, consider trying Kaizen.
How do you approach self-improvement? Let me know in the comments.
