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1st out of 18 books
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5 voters
One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way
Introducing the practical and inspirational guide to incorporating Kaizen and its powerful principles into one's daily life. Rooted in the two thousand-year-old wisdom of the Tao Te Ching--"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"--Kaizen is the art of making great and lasting change through small, steady increments. Kaizen is the tortoise versus the hare...more
Hardcover, 182 pages
Published
June 1st 2004
by Workman Publishing
(first published 2004)
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Your brain loves questions. What color is the car parked next to yours turns out to be productive and useful for shaping ideas and solutions than commands (tell me the color of the car parked next to yours). Use it to shape behavior such as "what is one way I can remind myself to drink more water?".
Mind sculpture how-to.
1. Isolate a task that you are afraid to do or that makes you uncomfortable. Try to give yourself at least a month before you actually have to perform the task.
2. Decide how many...more
Mind sculpture how-to.
1. Isolate a task that you are afraid to do or that makes you uncomfortable. Try to give yourself at least a month before you actually have to perform the task.
2. Decide how many...more
Last fall Megan McArdle wrote a piece for The Daily Beast titled "What's Wrong with Self-Help Books?" We all read them, and why not? As she says: "I have not noticed that the people who surround me at conferences and social gatherings are so perfect as to require no futher improvement." Yet for most people there is some shame involved in admitting they get useful advice from these kinds of books.
But it can. And it did.
I think I read about Maurer's book in Elle magazine, right when it was publish...more
But it can. And it did.
I think I read about Maurer's book in Elle magazine, right when it was publish...more
I actually really enjoyed this book, although I don't generally read self-help books I didn't have any trouble getting through it.
It isn't the best book, certainly. The author likes to pat himself on the back a lot (there is a lot of mention of Christmas cards he receives from past patients and mistakes multi-million dollar corporations have made that could have been avoided if they had only listened to him) which can be kind of irritating, and there were parts that I thought that the writing w...more
It isn't the best book, certainly. The author likes to pat himself on the back a lot (there is a lot of mention of Christmas cards he receives from past patients and mistakes multi-million dollar corporations have made that could have been avoided if they had only listened to him) which can be kind of irritating, and there were parts that I thought that the writing w...more
In "One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way," Robert Maurer, Ph.D., makes the case that, because people are resistant to dramatic changes, trying to improve your life through drastic measures (such as giving up smoking cold-turkey or going on a crash diet) usually leads to failure (although the author admits this is not always the case). Instead he recommends that we take small, almost insignificant steps towards our goals. In doing so, we lessen our resistance to change and therefor...more
This small, powerful book proposes that an idea that was originally used by the Americans to transform World War II factory productivity can be used by individuals to transform their lives. The philosophy is simple. Great changes can be made through small steps. The American cultural approach to dealing with self-improvement is to make a goal and to assault the goal. The reptilian brain resists change of all types. The basic science behind Kaizen is:
Large goal = fear = access to cortex restricte...more
Large goal = fear = access to cortex restricte...more
I don't know if it's just me or if it's the self-help book theme of the last few years, but it seems everything I read is about understanding how your brain works, and then using that knowledge to trick it into doing what you actually want to do. I like this book for its explanation of how any kind of change naturally triggers fear, and how, if you expect fear and plan for it, you can trick your brain (and bypass the fear that causes failure) by making very, very small changes at a time. An enli...more
This is great little book! (Thanks, Elly-- I finally read it!)
I like this philosophy a lot. Big Innovative concepts have a time and place, but the idea of taking small steps to overcome fears and ultimately become successful-- whatever that means to you-- makes a lot of sense to me, emotionally, mentally and physically. Sometimes "cold turkey" or "jumping right in" is just not the best way to go. There is a subtlety to this philosophy that I like.
If you want this concept in longer, anecdote-form...more
I like this philosophy a lot. Big Innovative concepts have a time and place, but the idea of taking small steps to overcome fears and ultimately become successful-- whatever that means to you-- makes a lot of sense to me, emotionally, mentally and physically. Sometimes "cold turkey" or "jumping right in" is just not the best way to go. There is a subtlety to this philosophy that I like.
If you want this concept in longer, anecdote-form...more
Dr. Maurer's book packs a lot a punch in less than 150 pages. He puts forward the notion that the easiest way to bring about change in one's life is to learn how to bypass the 'fight-or-flight' response. How do we do that? We do that by breaking tasks down into tiny, bite-size chunks...doing so helps bypass the fight-or-flight response and allows one to move forward...want to start an exercise program? Well, don't try to psyche yourself to exercise 45 minutes if you've never done that before. St...more
This is really an excellent book on the power and efficacy of making small and consistent steps toward improvement. In fact, the steps one takes can be so small as to seem trivial and mundane. Yet, through consistent implementation these small kaizen steps lead to lasting and important change.
The kaizen can be applied to a myriad of issues and challenges.
The book is well written, easy to read and has plenty of interesting anecdotes and research to back up the claims of the author.
I, for one, l...more
The kaizen can be applied to a myriad of issues and challenges.
The book is well written, easy to read and has plenty of interesting anecdotes and research to back up the claims of the author.
I, for one, l...more
Read this later in the year and started to tell people, “if you only read one more book this year, make it this one!” Maurer helps us understand how our brains actually work against us when it comes to making changes in our lives, and then he provides easy steps of how we still forge ahead. An exceptional book packed with tons of great information of how laughably small baby steps will lead towards the giant changes you have envisioned in your life. Maurer explains that we’re conditioned to thin...more
كان أول ما سمعت هذه الكلمة (الكايزن) من الراحل الفقي بأسلوبه المحفّز المثير، ظننت أصلُها وأسّها ياباني، إلا أن الكاتب روبرت موريور يبدأ كتابه بالقول بأنها أمريكية الأصل انتقلت بعدها إلى اليابان بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية؛ لتصبح عقيدة يؤمن بها اليابانيون
اصنع أسئلة صغيرة، اعمل أعمالا صغيرة، فكر بأفكار صغيرة، قدّم مكافآت صغيرة، انتبه للحظات صغيرة، كل ما يدور حوله هذا الكتاب
الأميجدولا محور يقوم حوله الكتاب، فعلى رأي الكاتب أن الأعمال الكبيرة، والتغييرات المعقدة المركبة التي ننوي تغييرها في نمط حياتن...more
اصنع أسئلة صغيرة، اعمل أعمالا صغيرة، فكر بأفكار صغيرة، قدّم مكافآت صغيرة، انتبه للحظات صغيرة، كل ما يدور حوله هذا الكتاب
الأميجدولا محور يقوم حوله الكتاب، فعلى رأي الكاتب أن الأعمال الكبيرة، والتغييرات المعقدة المركبة التي ننوي تغييرها في نمط حياتن...more
I enjoyed this book immensely. It has practical information that is immediately applicable to every day habits. For example, the passages about adding exercise to your life tell you to start of slowly by setting achievable steps, which you've probably heard before, right? But here, the author really breaks it down: begin by just reading your newspaper and drinking your morning coffee while you stand on your treadmill. Sounds silly maybe, but he supports the effectiveness of taking these small st...more
I found the best/most helpful chapters to be chapters one and two; I thought it lagged a bit afterward.
On the back cover, it says: "The science, irrefutable: small steps circumvent the brain's built-in resistance to new behavior."
The kaizen way is about taking small steps to help you move toward your goals, which helps you to bypass the fear that is triggered by your brain when you are confronted with tackling a large goal, which the author explains much better than I can summarize. (Sorry!) I...more
On the back cover, it says: "The science, irrefutable: small steps circumvent the brain's built-in resistance to new behavior."
The kaizen way is about taking small steps to help you move toward your goals, which helps you to bypass the fear that is triggered by your brain when you are confronted with tackling a large goal, which the author explains much better than I can summarize. (Sorry!) I...more
I can be iffy about self-help books but I like this one because Maurer adds in a bit of history to his presentation of Kaizen, or small steps, and illustrates how this approach can change the direction of not only people but large businesses and corporations. He also uses the latest brain research to discuss how our brains like questions and how a simple thing like a repeated question that we ask ourselves--even without answer--can change our behavior in all sorts of ways that will have a positi...more
Everyone should read this book. It's simple and quick, but very insightful and life changing. I feel so empowered, like I can actually make the millions of changes in my life that I want and need to make. This book teaches Kaizen principles -- the concept that small steps have a much longer lasting effect in our lives than when we try to make big leaps. One small step truly can change our lives. I loved it. I'm not one for self help books, and I would consider this in that category, but it reall...more
I can't remember where in my browsing I came across this book, but I had high hopes for it. The title, The Kaizen Way: One Small Step Can Change Your Life, seemed so appealing and so, zen. Go on, say it. It's okay. I'm gullible.
The book is not horrid. It is just more simplistic self-help drivel than Pema Chodron or Sharon Salzberg enlightenment. Interspersed with Kaizen Tips, it reads more like a diet book than illuminating philosophy. The history of Kaizen is not as ancient or as foreign as I...more
The book is not horrid. It is just more simplistic self-help drivel than Pema Chodron or Sharon Salzberg enlightenment. Interspersed with Kaizen Tips, it reads more like a diet book than illuminating philosophy. The history of Kaizen is not as ancient or as foreign as I...more
3.5 stars
Good books inspire, soothe, excite, amaze, motivate, confound, delight, intrigue—or do any number of other good things—maybe not all at once, but without fail they bring something extra to the table. I would argue that every really good book will get you thinking, and some will even get you acting differently. By this measure, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way is a good book.
Kaizen is a Japanese word that refers to "achieving great and lasting success through small, s...more
Good books inspire, soothe, excite, amaze, motivate, confound, delight, intrigue—or do any number of other good things—maybe not all at once, but without fail they bring something extra to the table. I would argue that every really good book will get you thinking, and some will even get you acting differently. By this measure, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way is a good book.
Kaizen is a Japanese word that refers to "achieving great and lasting success through small, s...more
I heard about this book because it was referenced in Switch which was a phenomenal book. I had waited a while before reading this and so I had built it up in my mind as something really special and in the end it was really disappointing. I guess I didn't realize that it was going to be written from the perspective of a therapist and looking at this technique as a therapeutic one. THe best part about this book was that it did actually follow its own advice - it was short!
I find most self-help books tedious and unrealistic. This one is different. I picked it up to learn some skills that I can use in my job and found that it has some interesting ideas that can also be used in life. Maurer is very down to earth and gives advise about real life situations while he avoids the platitudes that are usually rampant in similar books.
Highly recommended. Give it a shot. (Also, it is less than 200pp and is a very quick read.)
Highly recommended. Give it a shot. (Also, it is less than 200pp and is a very quick read.)
An awesome book, it just shows that one small step per day can really shape some one's life, the author mentioned that humans brain are designed such a way to resist change, that's why even though we know going for exercise and continuously studying or even typing when your hands are tired can be good, but the body and mind would just resist it, but by doing small things that matters and gradually can lead to a big change for everyone.
A good, quick ready. Skimming would be fine. The idea is to focus on small goals in life instead of the large one which you give up on. I've heard the same idea in different ways, but this is a clear attempt at formulating a way of life based on the idea. At times the ideas seem like a stretch -- he addresses the idea of radical change just a bit and that really needs to be addressed. Chap. 2 was especially good.
I've been hearing about kaizen for a while but the whole "small changes" idea never quite made sense to me, probably because, as Maurer says, we're conditioned to think that only drastic change counts: I will lose weight! I will go to the gym every day! But this books talks about the ways small changes can make a big difference, and have a better chance of succeeding simply because they're too small to be threatening. I checked this book out from the library but I'm going to go buy it because it...more
Fantastic book. I agree with the premise.One step at a time will get you where you want to go. This is a premise I have used for the last thirty years or more.When you use his small questioning technique for yourself or with others,you will see immediate positive results. The book is helpful to young and old. Well worth reading.I'd like to say this book is one that everyone should keep on their own bookshelf.
A very quick read with some interesting ideas:
start a goal in a small, small way that will help trick the lizard part of one's brain to not experience fear and therefor allow change to slip in.
the brain likes questions and will ponder them and seek an answer. So questions can be helpful way to find creative ideas. (Whereas negative questions i.e. "What's wrong with me?" can cause a negative spiral.
start a goal in a small, small way that will help trick the lizard part of one's brain to not experience fear and therefor allow change to slip in.
the brain likes questions and will ponder them and seek an answer. So questions can be helpful way to find creative ideas. (Whereas negative questions i.e. "What's wrong with me?" can cause a negative spiral.
This is a small book filled with great ideas. The one that sticks out in my mind the most is about the power of asking questions to shape people's actions. According to the book there is a dynamically powerful difference in results when one uses questions instead of commands... and of course reinforcing the idea of small steps instead of huge leaps... helps with my impatience... a great little read.
This book made me cry. Dr Robert Maurer is a physiologist and consultant. He weaves intimate stories of personal transformation, with case studies in organisational transformation. In doing so he links individuals' personal perspectives and feelings with the choices and actions we may take to benefit ourselves, our families and our organisations.
The 'Kaizen' and 'continuous improvement' information is provided in a gentle that supports the narratives of people overcoming their own difficulties...more
The 'Kaizen' and 'continuous improvement' information is provided in a gentle that supports the narratives of people overcoming their own difficulties...more
Pretty good, for a self-help book. Nothing shocking (small changes are easier to implement than large ones!) but it's all laid out in a reasonable manner and I did find it a worth-while read. I like how the author really encourages you to keep your brain working at all times, even if it's only in tiny increments. (The "Ask Small Questions" chapter was one of my favorites.)
I'm having some trouble refocusing now that I've finished the huge task of getting my B.A. Just like I needed to "eat that frog" to get through the final push on my degree, so I am now benefiting from taking small steps -- unbelievably tiny steps -- to get my life re-started. Diet, relationships, house cleaning, career management: it all comes up, and plenty more.
Very good examples and practical advice on taking small steps to break a habit or begin a new one. Don't want to exercise? March for just one minute during a TV commercial. Trouble with customer dissatisfaction over wait times? Make sure your representatives apologize at the start of a conversation and thank them at the end. Worth the short read it is.
Very good -- lots of information about all the small ways you can try to improve yourself and your life. Small questions, actions, thoughts, etc. can really help people do what they've always put off or never been successful at. It helped me think about some of the things I try to do and why I never succeed.
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“لو كان فى مقدور البشر التحكم فى أفعالهم دون مشقة لكنا جنسًا أرقى بكثير, ولبدت الصفحة الأولة من صحيفة الصباح مختلفة كل الإختلاف.”
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