Be a kaizen warrior

Kaizen is a Japanese term that means constant and never ending improvement.  It’s the idea that every day we do something to better ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

Self-development expert, Tony Robbins says progress is one of the 6 human needs that is necessary for true happiness. 

In fact, many studies show that people are happier when they are moving towards a goal then when they attain the goal.   People like to look forward to things.  It gets them out of bed in the morning, gets them to work hard all day long, and keeps them up late at night. 

First things first, you must have clear goals or intentions this year that motivate you.  Clarity is power!  Then you must realize that to have more, you must become more.  Do you want more money in your job?  Then you must become more valuable to your company. Do you want better relationships?  Then you must become a better listener, more empathetic, and caring. 

So how do you embrace and implement this idea of being a KAIZEN warrior?  It starts with a plan!  Most of us are busy all day long dealing with countless challenges, putting out fires, and trying to hold it all together.  Sound right? 

You can’t control what happens during your day but you have complete control over the bookends of your day…in other words, you can control the time when you first get up in the morning and the time right before you go to bed. 

If you get up early, or at least earlier than everyone else in your house, you will have some free time that is uninterrupted.  Imagine that!  Same thing right before you go to bed.  You have complete control to do (or not do) whatever you want. 

They say that one hour uninterrupted is the equivalent of 6 hours when you are constantly dealing with interruptions.  This is the time to pick up a book and read something inspiring or informative that will help you grow in your career.  This is the time to plan your day.  Did you know that for every minute you spend in planning, it saves you 10 minutes in execution? 

Plan when you are going to the dojo for your kids' class or your kickboxing class.  Plan when you are going to the gym or going for a run.  Plan your meals for the week.  When do you make poor food choices?  When you are hungry and don’t have anything healthy with you.  I’ve been there, done that, and got the t-shirt! 

This is a great time to simply think!  My mentor, Jeffrey Gitomer, says there should be time in your calendar everyday blocked off to think.  He says you will be amazed with the great ideas that you come up with. 
Write out at the top of a piece of paper a challenge you are dealing with and start thinking of ways to solve that problem.  Trust me…you will come up with some amazing ideas!

Consider also NET time.  NET time stands for “No Extra Time”.  During your day, you are swamped, but what about when you are driving?  Listen to an educational podcast or follow a mentor on YouTube.  Listen, don’t watch while driving!  You could listen to an audio program while at the gym or running.

Doing any of these strategies will help. Implementing more than one and sticking with them will change your life!
Recent studies now show it takes 66 days to develop a habit.  Stay the course and you will be happier, healthier, and making more progress in life than you ever thought possible! 

I think you will become better looking too! :)

Thank you for being a part of the Elite Force family!