I am not going to tell you what everyone else has said about resolutions. Frankly, most people's resolutions fail because they do not really understand what they want. It's easy to say you want to live a better life, treat others better, etc. But most of the time we are pretty happy with the way we are. Generally it takes something nearly catastrophic to motivate us to re-examine our lives. Why? Because many of the things we make resolutions about are simply esoteric. They don't deal with our immediate or long term survival, or the root of our happiness. To expand on this point, and to surpass it, I am going to discuss the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen.
Kaizen is a Japanese term which literally means "improvement", or "to take it apart and put it back together in a better way". What is taken apart is usually a process, system, product, or service.
Some people translate "Kai" to mean change and "zen"to mean good, or for the better.
The same Japanese words Kaizen that pronounce as "Gai San" in chinese mean:
Gai: The action to correct.
San: This word is more related to the Taoist or Buddhist philosophy, which defines it as "the action that benefits the society, but not the one particular individual". The quality of 'benefit' defined here should be sustained forever.
From Wiki:
One of the important areas of Kaizen is commonly known as "5S", for the five Japanese words that describe each concept:
Seiri: tidiness. Refers to the practice of sorting through all the tools, materials, etc., in the work area and keeping only essential items. Everything else is stored or discarded. This leads to fewer hazards and less clutter to interfere with productive work.
Seiton: orderliness. Focuses on the need for an orderly workplace. Tools, equipment, and materials must be systematically arranged for the easiest and most efficient access. There must be a place for everything, and everything must be in its place.
Seiso: cleanliness. Indicates the need to keep the workplace clean as well as neat. Cleaning in Japanese companies is a daily activity. At the end of each shift, the work area is cleaned up and everything is restored to its place.
Seiketsu: standards. Allows for control and consistency. Basic housekeeping standards apply everywhere in the facility. Everyone knows exactly what his or her responsibilities are. House keeping duties are part of regular work routines.
Shitsuke: sustaining discipline. Refers to maintaining standards and keeping the facility in safe and efficient order day after day, year after year.
The Toyota Production System is known for kaizen, where all line personnel are expected to stop their moving production line in the case of any abnormality, and suggestions for improvement are rewarded.
Kaizen is based on the concept of process-oriented thinking. If you want to improve performance in any area, you must improve the process. Day by day improvement is incremental and easily sustainable. The summation of many small improvements over time can be significant in achieving any goal.
Here is a good starting point for anyone interested in Kaizen as a life choice:
- not a single day should go by without some kind of improvement being made somewhere, no matter what area
- any activity should eventually lead to increased satisfaction / gratification (more happiness, more success)
- quality first, not quantity first (having accomplished many things is not as important as having accomplished them well)
- recognition that everyone has challenges and establishing a culture (friends, family, coworkers) where everyone can freely admit these challenges and suggest improvement
- problem solving is seen as cross-functional systemic and collaborative approach
- emphasis on process - establishing a way of thinking oriented at improving processes, and a system that supports and acknowledges people's process-oriented efforts for improvement
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