The Kaizen Philosophy: How to Get Better at Being Better
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Having a distant view can make us feel overwhelmed, and that’s why many people say, “Screw it, I’m off to have a drink.” When we fail, it lowers our future chances of success. Failures are more likely to be repeated than successes. This is where Kaizen Philosophy comes into play.
The Roman Empire wasn’t built in a day, so why do you think you can too?
It can be discouraging to make a significant alteration in life, particularly when we want to lose weight. When we see little results after months and months of sweating, wheezing, and eating salad, we are likely to give up. In addition, any intimidating job, such as writing a thesis, may cause us to trudge along half-heartedly.
People tend to say, “Screw it, I’m off for a drink,” when they come across a distant horizon. It is difficult for us to deal with the immensity of the universe, which can have serious consequences. If we fail to achieve our goals, we are less likely to succeed in the future. Success breeds success, and failure is self-perpetuating.
It is expected too much of us, and others as well.
No matter how ardently you try to live a blameless, perfect life, there will always be something to criticize. You may be philanthropic nobly, but you might spend too much time on yourself. You may be an adoring, diligent daughter, but you may not phone your father enough. You may be a devoted worker, but you might spend a little time on social media. Nobody is perfect.
It’s not about being perfect; it’s about becoming better.
There are too many people today, and even the slightest mistake can ruin a career. Forgiveness is as rare as the phoenix of ancient Egypt. However, seeing yourself as temporarily disappointing to a forgiving God(s) is detrimental. Instead, we should strive to improve rather than be the best. According to Seneca, the stoic Roman philosopher, we should strive to be better than we were before:
It is not my desire to become ‘wise,’ nor will I ever be. Therefore, I ask only that I will be better than the wicked, not equal to the best. Every day I strive to reduce the number of my vices and to take the blame for my mistakes.”
Unfortunately, vague, unhelpful resolutions like “be better” are doomed to be broken by lunchtime. Vapid, trite, and ill-defined objectives will not get you anywhere. Therefore, the Japanese ideology of Kaizen (improvement) is consequential and helpful because it makes the impossible achievable and enables us to achieve even the most significant objectives.
The Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement
It is focused on eliminating waste and increasing efficiency.
Toyota’s car manufacturer popularized Kaizen, a business practice, in the 20th century. So it is not some ancient, arcane secret buried deep within lost monastic scrolls.
The philosophy behind Kaizen is that we can all improve ourselves, but the best and most sustainable way is to do so slowly and incrementally. For example, it was once a textile business, and its switch to automobile manufacturing was not a dramatic overnight transformation (kaikaku). Instead, there were alterations here and there. After a month, significant changes were made as things changed daily, weekly, and monthly.
Despite our current quick fixes and instant gratification culture, Kaizen is neither. It can seem pointless and insignificant when viewed in isolation. However, Kaizen can turn any life into an ocean over time. When you reflect on your life in years to come, you will see yourself in new ways.
Improving your performance through Kaizen is a simple, effective, and practical approach.
The word Kaizen means improvement.
We can all use Kaizen. Created for everyday use, we can apply it to all areas of life. Here are three straightforward (and frequent) examples of how to do so:
Unfortunately, you often put off cleaning your house until the spiders declare squatters’ rights. Even if you live in a mansion, the “spring clean” is often delayed so long that it becomes an off-putting struggle. You can undertake a minor cleaning by saying, “Today, I will only clean my bedroom.” You may require longer to finish, but you will spend.
Endurance is required to complete a marathon, but runners see it as a series of small steps. Non-runners regard a marathon as a heroic feat of endurance, but it is simply a sequence of small steps. Runners who keep saying “Just to the top of that hill” or “Just one more mile” are motivated to complete one more mile and then one more until they have completed 26 miles.
The benefits of Kaizen philosophy in your daily habits
Habit can alter the character of a person. It is impossible to become compassionate overnight. Small steps of improvement—Kaizen—are necessary for habit change. For example, before lunch, try to perform a benevolent act. Before you go to bed, do another. Because Kaizen teaches us that we will become habitually compassionate one day, you have become compassionate.
When “slow” is considered a disadvantage, Kaizen can be expressed in phrases like, “Those who wait for good things have them come.” It is not easy, particularly in this day and age.”. It is possible, however, to achieve great things slowly and gradually over a long period.
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