The Kaizen Way

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Tao Te Ching -

Wisdom from the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life - The Kaizen Way, an old concept but excellently portrayed by the author Robert Maurer. Kaizen is a Japanese term that roughly translated, means “improvement”.

Kaizen is the conjunction of two words “kai” meaning change and “zen” meaning better (or “for the better”). Incorporating as it does, aspects of Buddhist thinking, kaizen is more philosophy than mere methodology or management technique. “Kaizen means continuous improvement in personal life, home life, social life and working life” - Kaizen Institute, 2004 -

Kaizen is the art of making great and lasting change through small, steady increments. Kaizen is the tortoise versus the hare. Kaizen is the eleven Fortune 500 companies that significantly outperformed the market through moderate, step-by-step actions. Kaizen is losing weight not by a crash diet (which more often than not crashes) but by eating one bite less at each meal--then, a month later, eating two bites less. Kaizen is starting a life-changing exercise program by standing--just standing--on a treadmill for one minute a day. How to think small thoughts?, take small actions, solve small problems, small rewards motivate better than big rewards, paying attention to little details most of us overlook, and more.