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 navigate a post-pandemic (COVID-19) world.
The trick is to know how to apply the Kaizen philosophy in personal life and stick to its principles.
In this article we describe the interesting thing you need to know about it.
The basics: what is the Kaizen philosophy?
The Kaizen philosophy combines two Japanese terms Kai (good) and Zen (change). The simplified translation of the term is equivalent 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 corporate culture after World War II. 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, increased productivity, and better results. Their perspective is not surprising, given the origin of the Kaizen method.
The Origin of Kaizen: How It All Began
We can trace the origin of the Kaizen philosophy back to the modest offices of a car company. Namely, when Toyota started applying the Kaizen principles, it was only trying to restore operations after a disaster. But through its effective management methodologies and gradual improvement, the company became 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 the Kaizen Institute on. His business studies simplify and teach this method to customers. Around the same time, companies in the West began adopting 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 so beautifully say, is history.
Converting Kaizen into a conscious mantra for personal growth
Kaizen has evolved over the years into a meaningful way of living.
Think of it as the story of the hare and the tortoise. The hare may have been fast, but it was the slow and steady progress of the tortoise that resulted in the win. Likewise, applying the Kaizen philosophy of 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 aim 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 naturally life-changing habits. Still, they manage to prevent underlying health problems. Applying the Kaizen philosophy in personal life has beneficial consequences for 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 everyday 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.
Success is achieved by combining 3 important elements:
- A large amount 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 keep growing.
10 Kaizen Principles: Why Does the Kaizen Philosophy Work So Well?
Kaizen teaches you to go through life with an open mind and eager to learn. By using this approach, you have a greater 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 doing the same thing over and over, but expecting 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 gradually turns 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 progressing slowly to bring about a major 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.
- Use the help of many mentors instead of consulting one expert.
- Stop spending too much time making 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 deeper each time to discover the cause of daily disturbances and problems.
- Sometimes budget-friendly solutions are better than expensive purchases.
- Create 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 each time.
- Collaborate and communicate with others to benefit from shared success.
In short, valuable change is a more natural and subtle approach. It arises from the realization of the importance of smaller initiatives and a harmonized contribution.
5 ways to apply Kaizen to everyday 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 whims of a brighter future.
Many companies adopt the Kaizen philosophy by 5S System track borrowed from the Toyota production system. Here's a rendition of a similar strategy to improve quality of life and streamline your thinking.
The 5S system stands for something with 5 Japanese words
Seiri: Sort and Eliminate
According to 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 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 drowsy to catch as many updates as possible related to the outbreak. As a result, precious hours have been wasted on 'breeding anxiety' rather than focusing on something productive. Today, more and more people are using the same amount of time to meditate or read articles related to work or usefulness.
Seiton: Organize your workplace and home environment
Organizational skills go hand in hand with productivity and efficiency. You often learn that the hard way when 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 beautiful because you accidentally threw it away.
Life can be a mess sometimes, but your work and home shouldn't be the same. Use Kaizen, including by throwing away items that don't "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 valuable lifestyle choices that cleanse your mind, body and soul.
They could be simple examples like:
- meditate to relax after work, live more in the present or every morning to start the day fresh
- Make healthy food choices to keep going apple cider vinegar to start or regularly on intermittent fasting to do.
- je subconsciousness learn to use and trust more often
Seiketsu: making high demands
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'll make room for meaningful relationships and mind-boosting hobbies that are much more rewarding. Spending quality time with the things or people you value will improve your mood and help you grow. These benefits in turn benefit in your work and will also prove beneficial in improving your health.
Shitsuke: maintain the discipline towards continuous improvement
Finally, get rid of the biggest vice of all, known as the 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 give way to irrational thoughts. Before you realize it, you've built insurmountable 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 a reality. 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 every 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 ao Brainboosted (link), Life Hacker (link), Medium (link), Zenkit (link)
