Almost all of us periodically set ourselves a new goal or challenge, and in the end, just as often, we failed to achieve them. We end up telling ourselves that we are not ready yet, that we will do it next week, next month … next year.
We might even pursue them zeal at the start. But once we have made a small effort, we will tell ourselves that we have done enough and that it is time to take things more slowly.
Why does it always end like this? The answer is quite obvious: because we try to get there very, very fast; because we get tired of the new responsibility; because it is difficult to change old habits and try something new.
How to Overcome Laziness
Kaizen, or The One-Minute Principle
In Japanese culture, there is the practice of Kaizen, which includes the idea of the “one-minute principle” for self-improvement.
At the heart of this method is the idea that a person should practice doing something for a single minute, every day at the same time.
Clearly, there should be no problem for absolutely anyone, even the laziest person, to perform a particular task for such a short period of time.
While most of the time you find an excuse to do nothing when faced with carrying it out half an hour or an hour a day, you should be able to be worry-free for just 60 seconds.
Whether doing push-ups or reading a book in a foreign language, in this case, the above task will not seem like an unpleasant task to do, but it will be an activity that will bring you joy and satisfaction.
By taking one small step at a time, you will follow the path of self-perfection and achieve excellent results.
It is important to overcome the lack of confidence that you can have in your own abilities, in addition to getting rid of these feelings of guilt and helplessness.
You need to experience a sense of victory and success to move on. When you feel inspired by these feelings, you will gradually begin to increase the amount of time you spend on the task which you have set yourself, perhaps only for another five minutes at first, but that will soon become half an hour, and then even more.
In this way, the one-minute principle allows you to see the progress you are making before your eyes.
Kaizen originated in Japan, the word itself has two roots: ‘kai’ (change) and ‘zen’ (wisdom).
It was invented by Masaaki Imai, who believes that this philosophy can be applied just as successfully to the world of business as it can be to one’s personal life.
At first glance, this practice may seem dubious and ineffective to people who have grown up in Western culture, with an emphasis on the idea that results can only be achieved through immense efforts.
But elaborate, challenging programs of self-improvement which deprive a person of huge amounts of energy can simply end up exhausting him, can simply deplete him and leave no tangible results, while Kaizan is something anyone can try in almost any sphere of their life.
In Japan, for example, it is often applied to improve management techniques.
All you have to do is understand what you want to achieve and you are ready to go.
Based on material from: timesnet.ru
