Kaizen isn't a new idea by any stretch, but it's new to me. It translates as 'continuous improvement'. Starting at Toyota, kaizen principles are now used in many industries. Software development teams use it with aplomb.
Intrigued, I wondered how I could use it on myself. How could be so effective to bring about lasting behavioral change? After all, who doesn't have a nasty habit they'd like to break, or a new one they'd like to start?
Lucky for me that I found Robert Mauer's One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. His take on 'personal kaizen' is so simple, I thought it a tad ridiculous at first. So, just for the sake of experimentation, I tried it out. Imagine my surprise when his suggestions worked.
My own bad habit concerned teeth, but not my own. I have dachshunds that need their teeth brushed, but I wasn't consistent about it. There were obvious problems looming if I didn't get into the habit, and soon. I saw one poor gray poodle at the vet's office, still woozy from multiple extractions. I didn't want that to be my wiener dogs. Despite that rather obvious warning, I still didn't have the gumption.
Mauer's solution? Think of the smallest, tiniest possible step toward your goal. Make failure a laughable impossibility. Then go do that step for a while until you're comfortable with it. Then take the next tiny step. And so on.
For my first step was beyond simple. Merely hold the dogs' toothbrush and toothpaste in my hands every day for thirty seconds. That's it. Day 1 of this came and went. I felt pretty silly just standing there. The same for Day 2, only I felt sillier. By Day 3 it was downright embarrassing. Wouldn't it just be easier to brush their teeth already? And that's exactly what I've done ever since. And although I've fallen off the wagon now and then, at least I know where to begin again if I must.
This approach is so effective because we resist large, drastic change. We're not wired for it, and our subconscious fights against it tooth and nail. Gritty willpower is fine for the short term, but it's exhausting to maintain. Ever notice how gyms are so busy in January and February? By March they've emptied out yet again. Long term change must proceed by tiny increments whether we like it or not.
As I found out, getting started is often the hardest part. Build up a modicum of momentum and you're off to the races. The time spent on baby steps acclimates the mind to something new but nonthreatening. We convince ourselves by degrees that this is no big deal. Over time the ratcheting effect of kaizen enables us to move mountains. A slow, creeping start gives way to an inexorable juggernaut of improvement and progress.
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