Kaizen is a japanese word meaning "improvement" or "change for the better".
We all want to become better people. But most lack the method. Or we go randomly about it or based on needs or worst, imperative. We also take a slack approach about it. "This year I will stop smoking". Or "This year I will start to train and put a prime on my health". And next thing you know, we drop out. Again. And we experience a feeling of failure. Again.
Sounds familiar? Don't worry, you're not alone.
So how can one improve, get better and put all the chances on one's side to avoid quitting? Simple. Lets apply the Kaizen process to our own life. The Kaizen process consist in four easy steps:
1. Plan
2. Action
3. Measure
4. Analyse
Its as simple as that. First you plan the change you want to make. Then you must take action. Your actions will bring results that you must record and measure (Which I don't). And finally you analyse the results and correct the action if need be.
But Kaizen also means moving forward step by step. So it is not designed to make big changes happen overnight. It is made to evolve in increment, step by step, day by day. And down the line the change will be huge. But you wouldn't feel it because you lived it by small increment. And this is the mistake I made all my life when I wanted to make a change.
For example, I always say that I want to have the body of a greek god. So I start to train like mad, going to the gym four or five times a week. And then, after six weeks of this regime, I stop all together. Then I have to start all again...
But if I go by increment: I will jog once a week. Then twice. Then mesuring my progress, this will give me joy and push me to jog for a third day. But this time my motivation will be propelled by results. I will WANT to do it, instead of doing it because I HAVE to do it. That's an enormous difference in perspective. And I think that it hold the key to success.
Lets start right now. I know that the part that need most improvement in my body (the part that I know that if I improve it, it will dramatically change the aspect of all the rest) is my belly and my abdominals. But for some reason I just can't seams to start working on that body part.
I have at home the abs part of the P90X training. I just can't seam to start it. But as of tomorrow. I will do one rep of on set of the first exercise on it. And record my results.
I shall apply this strategy to everything I want to undertake and accomplish in my life.
