We were previously introduced to the Kaizen philosophy in a somewhat dusty book. What started as an interesting topic turned into a very useful philosophy for personal development and growth.
It turns out that this Japanese practice goes beyond just business decisions. Embracing the mantra of 'continuous improvement' can completely change lives and take careers to great heights. It's also an excellent way to get through a post-pandemic (COVID-19) world.
The trick is knowing how to apply the Kaizen philosophy in personal life and stick to its principles.
In this article we describe the interesting things you need to know about it.
The basis: what is the Kaizen philosophy?
The Kaizen philosophy combines two Japanese terms Kai (good) and Zen (change). The simplified translation of the term equates to the phrase 'change for the better'.
The core method revolves around the belief that focusing on 'continuous improvement' will lead to better results. The Japanese borrowed this idea from Americans and seamlessly integrated it into their post-World War II corporate culture. Standard implementation requires people to eliminate non-essential tasks and investments to maximize efficiency.
Modern business leaders see the Kaizen principles as the original approach to lean management. Their primary goals for implementation include cost-effectiveness, higher productivity and better results. Their perspective is not surprising given the origins of the Kaizen method.
The Origin of Kaizen: How It All Began
We can trace the origins of the Kaizen philosophy back to the humble offices of an automotive company. Namely, when Toyota started applying the Kaizen principles, it merely tried to restore operations after a disaster. But its effective management methodologies and gradual improvement made the company the largest leading automotive brand in the world.
Later Masaki Imai introduced the term Kaizen after extensive data analysis and assessments on productivity principles. He devoted his life to understanding the Kaizen philosophy and also founded it Kaizen Institute on. His business studies simplify and teach this method to clients. Around the same time, companies in the West began to adopt this formula to match Toyota's success. Their interest made Masaki Imai's book 'Kaizen: Japanese Spirit of Improvement' (published in 1985) - an absolute bestseller.
The rest, as they say so beautifully, is history.
Converting Kaizen into a conscious mantra for personal growth
Kaizen has developed over the years into a meaningful way of life.
Think of it as the story of the hare and the tortoise. The hare may have been swift, but it was the turtle's slow and steady progress that resulted in the victory. Likewise, applying the Kaizen philosophy with improving just 1% per day can turn things into a rut for many people.
Some people associate it with 'Shinto' (God's spirit) and martial arts. The inclusion of the word 'Zen' encourages different interpretations for individuals interested in achieving personal development goals. The idea is to strive for small but consistent growth every day. Your daily efforts and progress would eventually lead to significant results.
Consider it a trivial act just like your personal hygiene. Brushing your teeth and combing your hair every day are not natural life-changing habits. Still, they manage to avoid underlying health problems. Applying the Kaizen philosophy in personal life has beneficial effects on your mental, social and professional life. You achieve these goals by striving for continuous improvement every day.
How to start with Kaizen?
An earlier study compared participants who used Kaizen in daily life for personal improvement. These individuals applied standard Kaizen principles to change their quality of life and eliminate bad habits. It was concluded that this philosophy could develop a 'harmony between mind and body', similar to Buddhist beliefs.
You achieve success by combining 3 important elements:
- A great deal of willpower: giving up is not an option.
- A motivational goal or incentive: the reason why you will keep going.
- A growth mindset: wanting to continue to grow.
10 Kaizen principles: why does the Kaizen philosophy work so well?
Kaizen teaches you to go through life with an open mind and curiosity. By using this approach, you have a higher chance of achieving the desired results.
This is in contrast to continuing to use traditional techniques and then expecting different results. Einstein said the following about this:
"The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over, but expect different results." - Albert Einstein
In the natural world, too, everything progresses slowly to eventually bring about an important movement. Consider, for example, the transformation of a caterpillar that changes step by step into a butterfly.
Unlike traditional techniques, you cling to traditional techniques and hope that things will change because if you find a secret solution. When, in reality, everything in the natural world is slowly progressing to bring about significant change.
Traditional Kaizen methodology consists of ten segments or principles. There are many variations on these guidelines. An interesting overview:
- There is always room for improvement, so keep learning new skills and relearning old skills for healthy growth.
- Replace old habits with new ones when traditions don't meet your current goals.
- Instead of consulting one expert, use the help of many mentors.
- Stop spending too much time making up excuses when you fail. Change is only possible if you actively seek solutions to your problems and challenges.
- Rely on factual evidence over subjective opinions when making a big decision.
- Ask the question 'Why' five times one level deeper each time to find the cause of daily disturbances and problems.
- Sometimes budget-friendly solutions are better than expensive purchases.
- Set a distinctive path to success by questioning the status quo and the usual.
- Take things day by day instead of shifting them to another day.
- Collaborate and communicate with others to benefit from shared success.
In short, valuable change is a more natural and subtle approach. It stems from the realization of the importance of smaller initiatives and a harmonized contribution.
5 ways to apply Kaizen to daily life: based on the 5S method
Experience shows that you can adapt the ten Kaizen principles to your life. If you succeed, you will begin to gain unique insights into the way your family, friends and professional environment work. You would miss these lessons if you spent every day chasing timelines and completing tasks under the whim of a brighter future.
Many companies apply the Kaizen philosophy through the 5S system that is borrowed from the Toyota production system. Here is an interpretation of a similar strategy to improve the quality of life and better streamline your thinking.
The 5S system stands for something with 5 Japanese words
Seiri: Sort and eliminate
Following the Pareto principle, '80% of production is generated by 20% efforts'. The Kaizen philosophy encourages us to use the same strategy when discussing the elimination of 'waste'. You can do this by identifying useless tasks and time consuming tasks in your daily routine. Once you recognize these tasks, replace them with something meaningful.
When the pandemic started, many people found themselves reading the news groggily to catch as many updates as possible regarding the outbreak. This wasted precious hours of 'breeding anxiety' instead of focusing on something productive. Today, more and more people are using the same time to meditate or read articles related to work or useful.
Seiton: Organize your workplace and home environment
Organizational skills go hand in hand with productivity and efficiency. You often learn this the hard way if you have lost an important document, for example between the many files, files or all the empty coffee cups on your desk. Or that you lose something nice because you accidentally threw it away.
Life can be a mess at times, but your work and home shouldn't be the same. Use Kaizen, also by throwing away objects that do not "bring joy" to life. Many health experts recommend making your workplace as empty as possible to increase mental focus. That means more creativity and concentration when you get started!
Seiso: Strive for healthier life choices
Seiso (or cleanliness) can help you maintain an ideal work-life balance. Use this method to eliminate or minimize unhealthy habits and mentally draining activities. Replace it with substantial and worthwhile lifestyle choices that cleanse your mind, body and soul.
They can be simple examples like:
- Meditate to relax after work, to live more in the present or every morning to start the day fresh
- Make healthy food choices to get through apple cider vinegar to start or regularly intermittent fasting to do.
- You subconsciousness learn to use and trust more often
Seiketsu: set high standards
Standardized cleaning sounds like a clinical way to disinfect your home. Applying the Kaizen philosophy in personal life often means developing your standards.
Use this strategy to avoid toxic friendships that hinder your progress in life. Once you start cutting these ties, you make room for meaningful relationships and mind-stimulating hobbies that are much more useful to you. Spending quality time with or with the things or people you value will improve your mood and allow you to grow further. These benefits will have their advantage in your work and will also prove beneficial in improving your health.
Shitsuke: Maintain the discipline for continuous improvement
Finally, get rid of the greatest vice of all, also known as procrastination.
Procrastination is a form of 'self-harm' that thrives on lazy excuses and a bad mood. If you fall prey to daily grumbling and negative self-talk, you can never take risks. You also lose sight of your action plan because you make way for irrational thoughts. Before you realize it, you have put in place unattainable hurdles that keep you from becoming truly successful in the ways you pursue.
Kaizen teaches you to discipline yourself by living in the present. It encourages people to visualize achievable goals and set smaller milestones to maintain motivation and make goals or dreams come true. Over time, your desired destination will get closer until you actually reach the finish line.
In short, about Kaizen
Ultimately, you can incorporate Kaizen into your personal life by embracing the mindset of continuous improvement. Go for any moment and prioritize improving your productivity over short-term moments of happiness. These habits can keep you moving forward again and again as you take efficient small steps instead of losing your calling in a blind pursuit of greatness.
Sources include Brainboosted (link), Lifehacker (link), Medium (link), Zenkit (link)
