Be Better Than Yesterday With Kaizen

Written by Michelle Ong | December 20, 2024 | Growth, Productivity

Learn how to apply the Kaizen principle for personal progress—breaking bad habits, forming good ones, and becoming more productive, one step at a time.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Change can feel overwhelming—whether it’s starting a new fitness routine, adopting healthier eating habits, or tackling a challenging project, the fear of change often holds us back. I’ve been there myself, feeling daunted by the prospect of big transformations.

That’s where the Kaizen principle comes in. By focusing on incremental small steps for improvement, we can gradually make meaningful changes without the pressure of drastic overhauls.

Kaizen, which means “change for better” or “continuous improvement,” encourages us to take tiny, manageable steps to become better than yesterday. In this blog post, I’ll explore how applying the Kaizen principle can help you make steady progress in your personal journey.

Origin Of Kaizen

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” – Winston Churchill

Kaizen, a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement,” originated in post-WWII Japan as a strategy to enhance productivity and efficiency in manufacturing.

For example, Toyota used Kaizen to revolutionize its production processes, leading to the development of the Toyota Production System, which emphasized small, incremental changes that significantly improved quality and efficiency.

Companies like Sony and Honda also adopted Kaizen principles to streamline operations and foster innovation.

Today, Kaizen is applied in various industries, including healthcare, where it’s used to improve patient care processes, and in IT, where it’s employed to enhance software development practices.

The Kaizen Cycle

The Kaizen Cycle, also known as the Kaizen Method or Kaizen Process, is a continuous improvement strategy that originated in Japan, primarily used in businesses and organizations to enhance efficiency and quality.

Identify: Start by identifying areas for improvement or opportunities for change, and set goals and milestones.
Plan: Create a plan with specific objectives and define the steps needed to achieve them.
Do: Test the plan on a small scale to assess its effectiveness. Carry out the changes and collect data on their impact.
Evaluate: Analyze the results to see if the changes met the objectives. Identify any issues or areas needing adjustment.
Repeat: Standardize successful changes and make further adjustments as needed. Integrate improvements into regular practices and plan for future enhancements.

The Kaizen Cycle focuses on incremental, ongoing improvements and involves everyone in the organization.

How To Use Kaizen For Personal Progress

“Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but of unlearning old limits.” – Alan Cohen

I wanted to find a way to apply the Kaizen principle to break bad habits and form better ones, so I decided to experiment with my own routine. I picked a bad habit—staying up late—and aimed to build a healthier bedtime habit. My plan was simple: make small, manageable changes that I could easily incorporate into my life. Here’s how I approached it:

Overcoming late bedtimes (past 1am):

Set a goal: I realized that staying up past 1 AM was making me tired and less productive the next day. I set a goal to go to bed before 12 AM, starting by shifting my bedtime 10 minutes earlier each week until I reached my target.
Identify causes: I noticed my late nights were due to caffeine (I drink a lot of green tea and Chinese tea), evening runs after dinner (after 8 PM), and working late since I felt “in flow” after 11 PM.
Plan: I cut back on caffeine by stopping all intake after 4 PM and moved my evening run to 6-7 PM. I also set a bedtime alarm for 11:30 PM to remind me to wind down, even if I had to stop an unfinished task. At first, I gave myself the flexibility to snooze the alarm but aimed to do this less over time. I tracked my sleep with a smartwatch and kept a daily journal of my sleep and wake times.
Do: I made a checklist for my plan: no caffeine after 4 PM, go for an evening run by 7 PM, start my bedtime routine by 11:30 PM, and only hit the snooze button twice. I also wrote a sleep journal entry each morning. Over the next few weeks, I followed this plan and gradually started going to bed earlier.
Evaluate: I meticulously tracked my sleep hours, quality, energy levels, and focus daily, as well as weekly and monthly patterns. I noted when I stayed up late and why, to help me refine my planning and habits.
Repeat: After 3 months, I am glad to share that I have been consistently sticking to my bedtime routine, making the earlier bedtime a new habit.

You’ll see that steps 1 and 2 in the example are both part of step 1 of the Kaizen cycle—I just split them for clarity. By applying Kaizen, I gradually shifted my bedtime and improved my sleep routine, leading to better health and productivity.

Looking for more ideas for personal progress? Check out these related posts on common bad habits you might not even be aware of and how to overcome them.

Take A Tiny Step

“Small improvements can lead to big changes. Kaizen is a reminder that tiny steps forward can eventually lead to monumental progress.”

I’ve been using Kaizen to build better habits and break bad ones, like in the example of overcoming my late-night sleeping habit, and it’s made a real difference in my well-being. I hope I’ve inspired you to give Kaizen a try, too. Start with small, simple steps toward your goals, and you’ll see how those little improvements add up. Begin today—your future self will thank you!

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Do you struggle with procrastination and motivation? Check out these related posts to understand why and break free from laziness. Also, check out this post for ideas on habits that can help you become more effective at work.