What Is Kaizen? (Increasing Productivity Through Continuous Improvement)

[Note: This is a continuation of the January Increasing Productivity challenge for the 10x10 Thing--If you have any thoughts on what you’d like future months to focus on, let me know :)]

Surprisingly, getting into the groove with my system for increasing productivity has been a lot easier than I remember it being. Perhaps that’s because I so desperately need to be doing this stuff right now!

Anyway, a couple observations on my part:

1. I used to rip up each note card after completing the task on it. This gave me the instant gratification that I was kicking my to-do list in the ass. However, it also left me at the end of the day feeling very good, but completely unable to recall exactly what I did that day.

So, I’ve decided to not rip up my note cards once I complete the task. Instead, I’m saving them in a separate stack to review on a monthly basis.

2. Most of my procrastination is based around fear of reaching outside my comfort zone. At the beginning of the day when I look through my daily note cards on what I need to do for the day, I initially feel drawn toward the easy things, and dreading those big or confusing things like “Learn how to use 1ShoppingCart” or “Send email to [extremely influential person] asking for help with [Project XYZ]”

What is the solution to overcoming the fear of taking action?

It might just be Kaizen

What Is Kaizen and How Can it Help Increasing Productivity?

Back in 2007, I got a book on the subject of Kaizen.

In case you don’t know, Kaizen is a Japanese term that probably translates to something along the lines of “continuous improvement” (dang, I knew I shouldn’t have been sleeping through those Japanese classes in college!).

The philosophy roughly equates to taking the smallest possible step forward that you can think of. This has a way of sidestepping fear and helping you to continue on your path toward success.

I’ve been re-reading the book, which is called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way  (seriously, get this book if you are at all interested in productivity or achievement!).

I’m not quite done with it yet, but I’m seeing all sorts of great advice that is really jumping out at me now that I’ve become a reluctant entrepreneur. (these ideas didn’t really seem to stick out when I had a 9-5 job in 2007.)

A Brief (And Probably Inaccurate) History of Kaizen

Anyway, in case you’re wondering, the book says that Toyota has used Kaizen principles to improve productivity and efficiency on their assembly line (and it claims that this is the reason why Toyota has kicked the asses of American auto makers).

Apparently, post-war Japanese businesses were taught what came to be known as Kaizen after World War II by Americans so that they could rebuild their economy (after the US dropped two nuclear bombs on them and effectively took two cities out of commission…).

As someone with Japanese ancestry myself, I’ve long been told that Japanese people aren’t very creative. I’ve been told that they are horrible and inventing new ideas, but that they are extremely skilled at improving on already existing ideas.

I don’t know if I believe all that, but Japanese people, sure are good at being efficient (I’m thinking of my experience on the Tokyo subway and how everyone stands to one side on the escalator so that other people in a hurry can pass easily…). Maybe Kaizen has something to do with this.

What This Means for Your Unproductive Self

Okay, maybe you’re sitting there thinking, “WTF! Last week you asked me to make 43 file folders and get a butt-load of note cards. How is all this supposed to help me increase productivity?”

Maybe you’ve decided that you want to quit your job and that you need to build a website or blog to do that.

Dude! That can be a really scary thing to come up with. You’re staking all your hope and dreams on one single idea.

If you’re crapping your pants right now, that’s because the thought is triggering your amygdala to go into overdrive.

Your amygdala is the part of your brain that is responsible for the famous fight-or-flight response. However, in our modern times, the amygdala can’t respond effectively to intellectual problems like “This blog HAS TO BE a success.” It’s more equipped to handle things like tigers and bears better.

So, when you decide to start your new website (or whatever), don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by all the details of doing it (like how are you going to build traffic, monetize it, and automate this whole dirty SOB?).

Just start with the smallest possible step.

Maybe that involves thinking up some domains that could be good for your new website.

Surely that’s not an intimidating thing to do, right?

Then, after that, actually buy the domain.

Then, after that, install WordPress (or whatever you like).

Then, find a WordPress theme.

Then, think up some article topics

Then, write an article.

None of those seem too overwhelming, right?

The point here is to take the next logical step in the process by chunking down to the smallest possible thing to do next. If the next thing you need to do scares you too much, just change it to THINKING about the next step you need to take.

In other words, if the next logical step is too frightening or difficult in some way, your next step is too big and you need to make it smaller.

By doing this, you can start to erode those feelings of fear that keep you from taking action.

But Don’t Small Actions Mean That It Will Take, Like, FOREVER to Reach My Goal?

This is an understandable concern, however, if you’re currently not taking massive action because you’re held up by fear, procrastination, uncertainty, or any other limitation, then taking a small step forward will be much more helpful than standing still.

And besides, by taking small steps, you are changing and chipping away at the habits and beliefs that are currently keeping you stuck.

Once you move past that initial hesitation and get started, you might just forget to stop.

Whether it’s exercising for just one minute, building one backlink, or organizing one piece of clutter per day, the initial momentum of just starting might be enough to keep you doing more than you set out to do.

Kaizen is a great addition to any productivity plan and it has really helped me since I started applying it to my life again about a week ago.

Have you ever heard of Kaizen before? If so, how did it go for you? If not, do you think it would be helpful in helping you get more accomplished?

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