Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese word that has two parts: “Kai,” which means “change,” and “zen” which means “good.” Together, the word means a “good change” or “change for the better.” In Spanish, it’s “mejora.” In Polish, it’s “melhoria.’’ In Norwegian, it’s “forbedring.’’ No matter how you say it, they all mean the same thing: improvement, or as it’s said in Japanese, Kaizen.

The concept of Kaizen is deeply embedded in Japanese culture and has gained popularity in manufacturing circles to achieve more favorable, ongoing outcomes. Toyota Motor Company might be the most well-known business for its successful adoption of the Kaizen philosophy, and has esteemed it as one of its core values.

Nowadays, Kaizen has become so popular as an operating principle that it has been adopted as a buzzword in the personal development industry. The philosophy of Kaizen is defined as living in a state of continuous improvement, and of believing with certainty that everything can be improved upon. To draw an analogy, when a baby is born, it literally doesn’t know anything. It doesn’t know how to even feed itself, but slowly, over time, it learns to turn over, then crawl, then stand holding onto something, then slowly walk holding the stroller, and finally to walk and run. Each step is one of slow, continuous improvement.

In the same way, life is a journey, a process of continuous improvement; but at some point, many of us stop learning, and when we stop learning, we stop growing. The diagram below clearly differentiates between doing nothing vs. small consistent efforts. It demonstrates that raising even the smallest number to an ever-increasing power produces remarkable growth.

  (1.00)365 = 1.00

                                 (1.01)365 = 37.7

                   Doing nothing at all vs. Small consistent efforts 

If you are not changing, you are remaining the same after a day, a month, a year… a lifetime. This is not a rocket science. However, if you make a small change, even something as miniscule as .01% each day, in one year you have become 37 times smarter. Wow! That is a remarkable accomplishment. 

We must begin to view our life based on the Kaizen principle, knowing with certainty that everything can be improved upon. I am not saying that all you need to do is work on yourself now and then, or that you must work toward your goals every once in a while. I literally mean that you have to put in effort every single day. There’s nothing remarkable about making something better once or twice a year, but when you are improving upon just one thing every single day from now and onward, you are talking about something remarkable happening in and with your life.

The good thing about Kaizen is that it doesn’t matter if the change is big or small, as long as it is a positive change. The great Dalai Lama, the world’s foremost Buddhist monk, was asked, “How long should you meditate?” He replied, “Start with twenty to thirty seconds.” Do you think that such an effort on your part would be possible? Your mind will tell you, “Of course, no sweat, I can certainly try anything for that amount of time!” 

Embrace continuous growth and self-improvement with the Kaizen philosophy! The Luvo app offers tools like guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to help you cultivate awareness and focus on small, positive changes each day. These incremental steps can lead to significant personal growth and a happier, more fulfilled you.

The key to success is to avoid trying to make large, radical changes to achieve your desired goals. Instead, introduce small improvements, preferably so small that your conscious or subconscious mind will not resist those changes. In the long run, you can accomplish more than you would have ever expected by making small, continuous changes, largely because they are sustainable.

Elevate your life and unlock your full potential! Download the Luvo app from the App Store or Google Play and embark on a journey of self-discovery and well-being.