Kaizen for Self Improvement

Kaizen? What does a Japanese method of industrial efficiency have to do with self improvement? Can it be adapted to self-work? Yes.

It started with the "continuous improvement" ideas of efficiency expert W. Edwards Deming in the 30s and 40s. After world war two the methods were picked up by the Japanese and developed as "Kaizen," an industrial process of many small and continuous changes. This is easily adapted to the field of self-improvement, as Robert Maurer explains in his book "One Small Step Change Your Life:"

Your brain is programmed to resist change, but by taking small steps, you effectively rewire your nervous system so that is does the following:

* Unsticks you from a creative block.

* Bypasses the fight or flight response.

* Creates new connections between neurons so that the brain enthusiastically takes over the process of change and you progress rapidly towards your goal.

Kaizen is a great alternative for those who have a hard time with major changes, like quitting smoking all at once. The kaizen way would be to maybe stop smoking in your car, as a first small step. Then you might switch to a brand with less nicotine, stop smoking in the house, etc.

One of the techniques used in kaizen is asking "small questions." In a factory setting this meant no more questions like "What are you going to do to improve profits for the company this year?" which elicits more fear than creative ideas. A better question is, "What small change can we make in your department to improve quality (or reduce expenses)?" It was found that this approach was far more productive.

For self improvement purposes, this means you ask small suggestive questions of yourself, like, "What can I do to free up ten minutes for my meditation practice?" or "What small thing could I do differently if I wanted to improve my relationships a little bit today?" Small questions have the power to dispel the fear and intimidation that often comes with the larger issue when it's approached frontally.

Small questions followed by small, comfortable changes is the first important principle of kaizen. The other is to make this process a continual one. Imagine where you would be if you had consciously made one small change in your life each week for the last few years. Better yet, imagine where you'll be in a few years from now, if you start the process today.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." - Lao Tzu