Achieving Your Biggest Goals Using the Kaizen Philosophy
John is struggling with conversations.
He attended a dinner at his friend’s house, and as the drinks kept flowing, the discussions
became more heated.
However, John has been unable to contribute any more than a few words because he did not
have anything to say.
He is very proud of his intellectual prowess and ability to trump arguments, and so today
left his ego pretty bruised.
So, John has decided to reintroduce the habit of reading.
He used be aware of all current events, but the day’s discussion left him wondering
what rock he has been living under lately.
In today’s video, we are talk about Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy that means “to become
good through change”.
Contrary to what is peddled, overnight success only happens when you win the lottery.
Realizing your goals, if they aren’t lottery-related, takes time and continuous improvement.
The question we answer today is; how can you achieve massive goals using the Kaizen approach?
The Kaizen Approach How old are you?
Are you an employee struggling to get that next promotion?
Is it your final year in university and you are hoping and working hard for a fulfilling
career ahead?
Or maybe you have just had your first child and are already thinking of a college fund
for him or her.
The kaizen approach starts when you answer the question, ‘what are your goals?’
A teenager’s goal could be to go to Harvard University since he or she wants to be a big
shot lawyer.
For you, financial freedom at 40 years of age is the dream.
The goal of a nine-month-old baby could be to stand on their own two feet without their
parent’s help.
A goal defines a point in the future that you in the present would like to achieve.
The next step is to create a system through which you will be able to achieve this goal.
John wants to get back to his old argumentative self; in his ideal future, his friends listening
to him in awe because of the good points he contributes to discussions.
The difference John has to cater for is knowledge on everything that is happening currently.
For this video, a system is defined as the combination of behaviors that are done regularly
and feed into a goal.
Thus, John has therefore, developed a system of reading books on current issues to achieve
his objective.
After World War II, Kaizen was developed in a bid to eliminate waste and increase efficiency
in industrial processes.
This was done by introducing small positive changes into these processes to lead to an
eventual increase in quality of the products.
A system for achieving a goal is the equivalent of an industrial process.
For John to utilize this philosophy he needs to break down his system of reading books
on current events into its smallest form; reading 2 pages every day.
Reading two pages of a book a day will encounter the least resistance from John as compared
to 20 pages of the same.
Positive changes are then introduced to this system.
On the first day, John reads 2 pages; on the third day, he scales it up to 4 pages and
to 5 on the seventh day.
This system is improved daily until it becomes a habit that will lead to the achievement
of the goal.
Procrastination and an inability to achieve goals arise when you are so entirely focused
on the goal, that you forget the process of getting there.
Comparing the small progress we are making and the massive goal that is ahead of us may
trick our brain into thinking that we aren’t doing anything or getting anywhere.
Kaizen understands that eventual gains arise from systems, and by improving how we use
our time, effort and smarts in the process, we will get our desired results.
If the story of the hare and the tortoise is anything to go by, slow and steady does
win the race.
What About When You Are Backtracking?
Kaizen works on improving systems that are already in place or have been introduced.
It is for this reason that it has contributed to the success of companies like Toyota and
Canon.
However, it becomes a little tricky when the philosophy is used by human beings because
of our emotional nature.
What happens when we are no longer energetic, ambitious and excited about our new goals?
Is kaizen useful when you are down, lethargic or when you simply revert to your old habits?
It is important to understand that this philosophy is about eventual positive improvement and
the development of good habits.
Developing a habit is like building muscle from working out over a period.
When you miss strength training for three sessions, the muscle you built over six months
is unlikely to dissipate into thin air.
If you are going through a rough patch, don’t be frustrated and give up.
For a while now, Brian has been failing at his goal of sleeping for at least 7 hours
a night.
When you look closely, however, you will note three years ago, he was sleeping for barely
3 hours every day; currently, he sleeps for between 4 and 5 hours a night.
While he may not have achieved his ultimate goal, the progress he has made is undeniable.
And that is the greatest strength that the philosophy of Kaizen has; constant progress.
Thank you guys so much for watching today’s video, and all the best as you make those
small steps to your ideal future self.