One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.
I use this moniker for kaizens: SMARTQ
A kaizen, a very small thing, could be a small:
Solution
Moment
Act
Reward
Thought
Question
The example of putting your shoes by the door so that you’ll wake up and be more motivated to go running is a perfect kaizen.
Or if you want to start doing yoga, you could tell yourself, “I don’t have to actually do yoga, but at least today, I’ll touch my yoga mat.“ Literally, just touching it with your finger gets you closer to doing it. If you end up doing some poses, great! But at least you get that dopamine hit of knowing you did what you said you would do.
That’s part of the brilliance of a kaizen: positive feedback that helps you get into a positive cycle. Instead of creating a high barrier to success, you set the bar so low you can’t fail!
Here’s to setting out future selves up for success with tiny kaizens that get us into positively reinforcing cycles. Every small achievement builds on itself over time!
Make and then KEEP doctor appointments. I've chosen my birthday and give this to myself as a present every year. A bad present in the case where it is colonoscopy year but nonetheless, ritual and routine get me there.
Just do 10 (or 5) is one of the key things I do. I know I can commit to 10 push ups, or 10 minutes of movement / cleaning / tidying and even when I really don’t feel like it, I never let myself down as I can ‘just do 10’ and then stop. Often of course, in the same way as getting out the door is the bigger challenge than the run itself, I generally end up doing more than 10. If I remember correctly it’s called ‘the gateway theory’.
Two things I do: on Sunday I set alarms for the week on my phone as reminders to do things. I schedule time in my calendar to prepare in advance for important calls and actions. I think I'm pretty time blind. I live in the now, but I worry a lot about the future because I'm afraid I'll just forget to do it or prepare for it , whatever the it is.
I read a piece of advice somewhere to “close the loop” by thanking your past self for setting things up for the you that is reaping the benefit of the action. It’s kind of meta, and I don’t often remember, but when I do, it just somehow makes me feel really great and appreciated!
This is a major guiding principle for me and I'm so glad to see it here! I don't know when I started operating this way, but it's been incredibly helpful.
Some ways I use the "be a buddy to your future self" mentality:
- I document things and leave notes for myself, particularly for important tasks that I may not do regularly enough to remember everything. The next time I need some piece of information, all I need to know is where to find it, instead of starting from scratch
- I reload my weekly pill containers four weeks at a time, and I use weekly pill organizers to eliminate the question of "did I take my meds today?"
- I just came home from a weekend trip, and a couple weeks ahead of time I started packing my car with random things I needed for the event that I was at higher risk of forgetting
- Automate repetitive tasks! When I used to get a lot of the same questions at work, I would often have email templates at the ready. I'd often need to include instructions or other resources, so anticipating needs and having those resources at the ready ended up with less work on that front for me down the line as people learned how to find what they needed on their own.
The possibilities for this thinking are endless, and the simple reframe of "how can I make this easier for my future self?" can do wonders for motivation!
As someone who cannot commit to a single religion, I try and stack as many good habits from various religions as I can. Your post reminded me of the seventh day Adventists. They wear a certain prechosen color every day—minimal decision making, reduce stress. They forest bathe in nature as a recreational outlet. They eat mostly vegetarian. Loma Linda, California where there is a concentration of Adventists is the only blue zone in the United States. They live about a decade longer than the rest of us. Eat two olives a day to ward off cancer (skip the dry martini). Trust in a higher power to reduce incessant worry and believe that outcomes will be beneficial.
Looking out for mind. body, and spirit is HUGE. What happens healthwise in your 40s began in your 20s-30s, and so on. I'm aware of that as aged people around me are dieing. But, before the final breath, they spent their precious time and money on doctor's visits and meds that created more need for doctor visits. I'd like to avoid as much of that as I can so I look after my mind, body, and spirit daily.
I used to do the same: lay out all of my gym stuff so I could go to the gym in the early mornings. Now I do the same with my writing stuff: I set up my laptop and everything else I may need so that in the morning I just need to slide out of bed and sit at the table and start writing. It really works!
This article is such a great reminder. I'm am often overwhelmed with a one page article in my substack account that I can't seem to move beyond. Time to back up and away from the big picture and take the small steps.
This reminds me of ‘kaizen’—doing extremely small things to improve your life.
The book I read about it IS small and one of my favorites—https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/one-small-step-can-change-your-life-the-kaizen-way_robert-maurer/251578/item/1284851/?
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer.
I use this moniker for kaizens: SMARTQ
A kaizen, a very small thing, could be a small:
Solution
Moment
Act
Reward
Thought
Question
The example of putting your shoes by the door so that you’ll wake up and be more motivated to go running is a perfect kaizen.
Or if you want to start doing yoga, you could tell yourself, “I don’t have to actually do yoga, but at least today, I’ll touch my yoga mat.“ Literally, just touching it with your finger gets you closer to doing it. If you end up doing some poses, great! But at least you get that dopamine hit of knowing you did what you said you would do.
That’s part of the brilliance of a kaizen: positive feedback that helps you get into a positive cycle. Instead of creating a high barrier to success, you set the bar so low you can’t fail!
Here’s to setting out future selves up for success with tiny kaizens that get us into positively reinforcing cycles. Every small achievement builds on itself over time!
Love this! Thank you!
Thanks Carol! The little kaizen book goes into more detail & is really worth the read!
Def ordering it! Thank you for sharing!
Yeay!! Let us know how you like it!! ❤️
Make and then KEEP doctor appointments. I've chosen my birthday and give this to myself as a present every year. A bad present in the case where it is colonoscopy year but nonetheless, ritual and routine get me there.
Doctors appointments are HUGE!!!!! Early detection and management of any health issue is a great gift to your future self, even if it sounds scary.
Just do 10 (or 5) is one of the key things I do. I know I can commit to 10 push ups, or 10 minutes of movement / cleaning / tidying and even when I really don’t feel like it, I never let myself down as I can ‘just do 10’ and then stop. Often of course, in the same way as getting out the door is the bigger challenge than the run itself, I generally end up doing more than 10. If I remember correctly it’s called ‘the gateway theory’.
Love it.
Two things I do: on Sunday I set alarms for the week on my phone as reminders to do things. I schedule time in my calendar to prepare in advance for important calls and actions. I think I'm pretty time blind. I live in the now, but I worry a lot about the future because I'm afraid I'll just forget to do it or prepare for it , whatever the it is.
I feel you on the time blindness, the struggle is real, Heather!! I’m going to try to use alarms more this week! Thanks!
A day where everything is preplanned sounds amazing - just no decision making. For sure going to try this out! ✨
I read a piece of advice somewhere to “close the loop” by thanking your past self for setting things up for the you that is reaping the benefit of the action. It’s kind of meta, and I don’t often remember, but when I do, it just somehow makes me feel really great and appreciated!
This is great! Thanks for sharing.
Great idea. Acknowledge when we have helped us. Thanks past me!
This is a major guiding principle for me and I'm so glad to see it here! I don't know when I started operating this way, but it's been incredibly helpful.
Some ways I use the "be a buddy to your future self" mentality:
- I document things and leave notes for myself, particularly for important tasks that I may not do regularly enough to remember everything. The next time I need some piece of information, all I need to know is where to find it, instead of starting from scratch
- I reload my weekly pill containers four weeks at a time, and I use weekly pill organizers to eliminate the question of "did I take my meds today?"
- I just came home from a weekend trip, and a couple weeks ahead of time I started packing my car with random things I needed for the event that I was at higher risk of forgetting
- Automate repetitive tasks! When I used to get a lot of the same questions at work, I would often have email templates at the ready. I'd often need to include instructions or other resources, so anticipating needs and having those resources at the ready ended up with less work on that front for me down the line as people learned how to find what they needed on their own.
The possibilities for this thinking are endless, and the simple reframe of "how can I make this easier for my future self?" can do wonders for motivation!
Oh wow. I love the idea of scheduling in a no-decision day.
Oh my gosh, the joy!!!!
As someone who cannot commit to a single religion, I try and stack as many good habits from various religions as I can. Your post reminded me of the seventh day Adventists. They wear a certain prechosen color every day—minimal decision making, reduce stress. They forest bathe in nature as a recreational outlet. They eat mostly vegetarian. Loma Linda, California where there is a concentration of Adventists is the only blue zone in the United States. They live about a decade longer than the rest of us. Eat two olives a day to ward off cancer (skip the dry martini). Trust in a higher power to reduce incessant worry and believe that outcomes will be beneficial.
95% of my shirts are the same black shirt — so relieving. No problems matching them to anything! Agree, simplifying is the way to go!
Looking out for mind. body, and spirit is HUGE. What happens healthwise in your 40s began in your 20s-30s, and so on. I'm aware of that as aged people around me are dieing. But, before the final breath, they spent their precious time and money on doctor's visits and meds that created more need for doctor visits. I'd like to avoid as much of that as I can so I look after my mind, body, and spirit daily.
I used to do the same: lay out all of my gym stuff so I could go to the gym in the early mornings. Now I do the same with my writing stuff: I set up my laptop and everything else I may need so that in the morning I just need to slide out of bed and sit at the table and start writing. It really works!
This article is such a great reminder. I'm am often overwhelmed with a one page article in my substack account that I can't seem to move beyond. Time to back up and away from the big picture and take the small steps.
If you keep a recipe book, write notes on the pages about what worked/didn't work, how you scaled the recipe up/down, etc.