The goal of
kaizen is to
improve
the quality,
joy, comfort,
efficiency,
and/or
functionality
in any area
of one’s life.
Kaizen is a
process by which
a person or a
business
makes a
continuing
series of
small,
incremental,
positive changes
--
changes that
eventually and
collectively
result in major
transformations.
If you are
required to make
or if you desire
to make
major changes,
such as
the
in-process
Global
Transformation,
the wise way
to do that
is to take a
series small
steps.
This section
explains why
small steps
are superior to
big jumps.
Kaizen is a
highly
successful and
a proven approach to making
changes.
Kaizen is a
process that
came out of
the Japanese
reconstruction
process
following WWII.
The word
kaizen means
"change for the
better" --
"improvement."
It was
originally
developed for
business,
however,
it
is applicable to
any aspect of
one's life.
The goal of
kaizen is to
improving the
quality, joy,
comfort,
efficiency,
and/or
functionality in
any area of
one’s life.
Kaizen is a
process by which
a person or a
business
makes a
continuing
series of small,
incremental,
positive changes
that
eventually and
collectively
result in major
transformations.
In our
present-day
social system,
most of us
have been
programmed
to believe that
successful
change
comes
in big steps and
major pieces --
that large
change is good
change --
that the way to
succeed is to
make the
largest possible
change
in
the shortest
possible time.
This
approach is
called
"Innovation."
The problems
with innovation
are that it's
too big to cope
with,
it usually
doesn't work,
and it's scary
as hell.
Innovation
doesn't work
because
it
is counter to
the human nature
which resists
change
and
sees major
changes as
threatening.
Kaizen
offers a way
around these
problems.
Changes are
most successful
and lasting if
they are
small and
if
each new step is
followed by an
integration
time.
The human psyche
is designed to
resist change.
Most of us
like routine; we
like
consistency;
we like the
normal, the
dependable, the
usual;
we like that
which is in
harmony with us
as we presently
are.
So when
facing major
changes most
humans baulk,
they resist, and
all to
often, simply
refuse to
change.
The result
of refusing to
adjust or to
adapt to a new
context
(a
new set of
external
circumstances)
is often
uncomfortable,
painful, and
could even
produce
disaster.
Kaizen
offers a way
around this
problem, too.
Fear of failure
is still another
major factor
in our inability
to make major
changes.
In many
social
traditions,
particularly,
the Christian
tradition
there is a
strong
psychological
link
between
being wrong and
being punished.
Failure is
associated with
pain.
Failure is
associated with
sin which, in
turn,
is associated
with eternal
damnation in
hell.
The way around
this is again
found in the
Kaizen approach.
Make steps
so small that
success is
relatively easy,
mistakes are
correctable,
and fear of
failure is
minimal.
Instead of major
changes, use the
mountain-climbers
motto:
"Take one
step at a time."
Or answer
the ancient Sufi
masters
question:
"How do you
eat an
elephant?"
We don’t
actually eat
elephants, but
symbolically
speaking
the
answer is “One
bite at a time.”
Here are
some additional
examples:
(o)>
In whatever
goals you're
striving to
reach,
think
in terms what
you're familiar
with and
comfortable
with.
Now stretch
one small step
beyond what is
easy for you to
do.
Avoid a big
jump.
Just take a
small step.
What you
will notice is
that as you
become familiar
with
this
new small
stretch, the
anxiety goes
away, and
you find that
your comfort
zone has
expanded.
Tomorrow,
perhaps you'll
be ready for
another small
step.
(o)>
You
probably won't
be able to lose
thirty pounds,
but
you
could lose one
or two pounds.
Then after
that, you could
probably lose
another pound or
two.
(o)>
You could
postpone the
next cigarette
or the next
drink or
the
second helping
of food for ten
minutes.
And after
ten minutes, you
might consider
postponing
them another
five minutes.
Later, you
could begin by
postponing them
for fifteen
minutes, and so
on.
You'll probably
notice that,
by making this
small delay
before eating
the next bite of
food,
the
desire for more
food often
dissipates.
This is
because the body
requires a few
minutes
to
adjust to the
food you have
already eaten.
Once that
adjustment has
been made,
if the stomach
is full, the
body says, "Stop
eating."
After this
delay, the
desire for food
is often
greatly reduced.
Editor's
Note:
Another
factor to
consider when
dealing with
the desire to
eat food is to
pause for a
moment and ask,
"What am I
really hungry
for?"
What you'll find
is that you are
really seeking
to feel better.
What you are
seeking is
more feel
good feelings.
More food is
usually not the
real answer to
the question.
"What am I
really hungry
for?"
Now, back to
Kaizen.
(o)>
Think of
a small way you
could
improve the
efficiency of
your work or
your tasks at
home.
(o)>
You'll
probably resist
cleaning your
whole house,
but you could
easily clean one
shelf in the
pantry.
Then later, or
tomorrow or the
day after,
you might tackle
a second shelf.
(o)>
How could
you be just a
bit nicer
to
your family,
friends,
co-workers, and
to the
people you
encounter
in
the grocery
market or a
restaurant?
(o)>
And the
words you just
read. . .
They were
typed one letter
at a time.
The
Bottom Line:
It’s much
easier,
psychologically,
emotionally and
physically,
to make a series
of a thousand
small steps
than it is to
make one huge
jump.
<><> .
Recommended
reading on this
topic:
One Small
Step Can Change
Your Life:
The Kaizen Way
A book by Robert
Maurer,
Workman
Publishing, New
York.
<><><>
<><><>
Also, check the
Internet.
Wikipedia
has an excellent
description.
Topic
Address:
https://c-truth-b-free.com/E--KkK--glossary-.html#Kaizen