One Small Step Can Change Your Life – The Kaizen Way
By Robert Maurer, Ph.D.
A book review by Ted Greenhough 📚
I get many ideas from books, but this is the first time I’ve ever reviewed a book in the Real Agent Memo! I love this book because it’s tiny (2-3 hours to read), and the concepts are simple to understand.
It’s one thing to read a book and learn a lot. It’s quite another to easily implement the ideas into your life. But that’s the whole idea behind Kaizen – making things simple.
When I first read the book, I realized that I knew many of the concepts instictively, and I’d been using them my entire life, but it was illuminating to understand why those things have worked for me. This gave me a well-needed shot in the arm, at a time when I felt like I was in a rut. It made the transition back to positivity and productivity incredibly simple.
When we feel overwhelmed, it’s good to remind ourselves of this familiar but powerful saying, “ A journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step.” – Lao Tzu 🚶♀️
The book is based on the Japanese business philosophy of Kaizen, or continuous improvement. But it’s not just about business. The concepts can be applied to your personal life as well.
The goals we all have, the pursuit of a rewarding personal relationship with another human being for example, or honouring and maintaining our personal health, can be elusive and even frightening at times. But for now, all you need to do is take one tiny step.
Why Kaizen Works
“All changes, even positive ones, are scary. Attempts to reach goals through radical or revolutionary means often fail because they heighten fear. But the small steps of kaizen disarm the brain’s fear response, stimulating rational thought and creative play.” — intro to Chapter One (Why Kaizen Works).
The other chapters are: Ask Small Questions, Think Small Thoughts, Take Small Actions, Solve Small Problems, Bestow Small Rewards, Identify Small Moments, and Kaizen For Life.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I encourage you to take one tiny step and buy this book. Here are the links for Amazon in Canada, and Amazon in the U.S.A.
When you receive the book, here’s one additional tiny step:
Read the 14-page preface, beginning with “Change is hard!” After that, you’ll be hooked. Then you can decide for yourself your next tiny step.
Be kind to yourself. Just take it one step at a time.
