Self-Improvement: The Kaizen Method 101

 

For anyone who has embarked on a journey toward self-improvement or personal growth, you know that the better version of yourself seems to lie at the other end of a roller coaster ride. The path to transformation is uneven, mostly uphill, and often includes many setbacks that leave you questioning your choice to start, though once you have reached your goals it is often very worth the effort.

 

The Kaizen method is an approach to improvement that helps you embrace the marathon that is continuous growth, rather than expecting instant results and gratification. Instead of looking for ways to make it all better RIGHT NOW, this approach adopts a more realistic strategy that leads to success over time.

 

Understanding the Kaizen Method

 

Unlike the notion of radical change, the Kaizen method is an approach the focuses on continuous, incremental improvement that leads to significant, long-term change. Many people talk about Kaizen as being the “1 percent rule,” because instead of trying to make changes in substantial leaps and bounds, you instead focus on doing one small thing every single day that will get you closer to your final outcome. 

 

The method was developed as a business model to promote lean manufacturing. You may know it as “The Toyota Way,” because it was famously adopted by that manufacturer to ensure quality control and to achieve transformation within the auto industry in Japan.

 

 The opposite of this approach could be called “radical innovation,” in which a company or person attempts to make drastic changes very quickly. Anyone who has been on a strict and very limited diet can tell you what happens when you change everything very quickly. Change is much harder to realize.

 

The Kaizen method instead emphasizes a simple philosophy that every day, you are focusing on getting just a little bit better than you were the day before, in whatever way you are trying to change or improve. The power of this method is that these small, incremental changes compound on each other, and minuscule changes in the beginning soon combine with other minor changes to create more significant, lasting effects. 

 

While it was originally developed as a business model, the Kaizen method is also applicable to personal growth and development. The advantage of this type of approach to improvement is that it gets you off the roller coaster of ups and downs usually associated with making changes in your life. 

 

Instead of focusing on big, long-term goals that will not be realized until far into the future, the Kaizen method helps you focus instead on small, discrete steps that are achievable today, where you are, and with your current capabilities. 

 

The underlying foundations of Kaizen state that there is no magic bullet that will suddenly change your life or make everything better. And the sooner you realize and embrace this, the sooner you can actually start improving your life in meaningful ways. Change is hard, and it comes through small steps taken every day. It comes through continuous improvement, not overnight transformation. 

 

The Kaizen method is a process, not a goal. It is not something you ever really achieve as it is something you commit to doing every day. Once you reach a specific goal, Kaizen thinking can help you maintain your results or secure your gains. 

 

As an inspirational speaker once said, "Success isn't owned, it's rented. And rent is due every day." If you want to succeed, you have to do the hard work every day, so you might as well make that work a part of your daily habits so that it becomes who you are and what you do in the process. 

You Don’t Have to Be a Vegan/Vegetarian on a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet

As with everything, the idea of a Whole-Food Plant-Based (WPFB) diet comes with some misconceptions. The name, Whole-Food and Plant-Based, seems to give the idea that you must be a vegan or vegetarian to follow a WFPB when nothing could be further from the truth. 

 

Not What It Isn’t

 

Unlike other diets, WFPB diets and nutritional patterns are fashioned around what they can include rather than what they must exclude. 

 

Vegans, for example, exclude meat and animal by-products from their diets. The Atkins diet lowers carbs. 

 

WFPB diets are marked by what they include which are plant based and whole foods. This implies that plant-based foods are preferable, and perhaps should be the main source of your diet, however, whole foods are the other part of that. 

 

Fresh caught Salmon is a whole, nutrient dense food. Rather than focusing on the implication of a WFPB diet being that you must exclude meat, take a look at what you can include and decide for yourself. 

 

Different Diets

 

Pescatarianism, Vegetarianism, the Mediterranean diet, and even the Ketogenic Lifestyle are all WFPB diets when done right. Now, before the Vegans and Vegetarians in the room start cringing over that last one, let’s clear something up. 

Not all Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Pescatarian, and Ketogenic eating patterns are necessarily WFPB either. Afterall, sodas and bags of deep-fried potato chips carry that vegetarian or vegan stamp. These highly processed foods also contain preservatives, additives, and added sugars. 

 

The Point 

 

The point of a WFPB diet isn’t to avoid meat. Remember, this isn’t one of those exclusionary diets. The best place to start is to fill your already existing eating pattern with whole, nutrient dense, and plant-based foods. This isn’t a check box. 

 

Strawberries are whole foods, they’re nutrient dense, and they’re plant based. However, chicken breasts are whole nutrient dense foods. You’re not looking to add or eat only foods which are whole foods And plant based. 

 

The WFPB concept is to add more healthy, and nutritious foods to your diet. Yes, the words run together to imply a plant-based diet of whole foods, when, in-fact, you’re looking for whole foods and plant-based foods. If a food item meets both qualifiers, then that’s great. 

 

One of the major myths running around about WFPB diets is that they’re carb heavy. This is true. This is also okay. Carbohydrates, especially complex carbs, aren’t necessarily the enemy. The thing you want to avoid are the food laden with simple sugars like soda’s and candy which will cause your blood sugar to sky rocket and then plummet. 

 

This is the sort of thing which has been giving carbohydrates a bad name, but the fact is that your body needs carbs to burn as glucose. There’s nothing wrong with complex carbs. 

 

Now that that’s said, a Ketogenic Lifestyle can be designed around a WFPB option. Most usually are. It’s just that these folks need to burn ketones rather than glucose, or want to, for whatever reason. There are plenty of plant-based options for dietary fat like Avocados and olives which meet the Whole-Food requirement. 

 

Bottom Line

 

The bottom line is that WFPB diets aren’t about which fuel you burn, or whether you eat meat or not. They’re about shoving as many types of foods into your available diet as possible so you can focus on eating nutritious, nutrient dense, whole, and plant-based foods rather instead of the highly processed foods most of us reach for more often than we should. T.V. dinners, candy bars, and other processed foods contain way too many things we don’t need or really want. 

They taste great because they’re designed to. That’s doesn’t mean they’re good for you. 

 

Mental Fog Can Be Cured

We’ve all experienced mental fog. You feel like your brain is made of cloud puffs instead of an actual brain. Its symptoms include:

 

• Difficulty concentrating
• Diminished memory
• Find it hard to focus
• Poor communication skills
• Low motivation
• Easily distracted

 

Brain fog is a result of any type of imbalance in the control center of the brain, otherwise known as the hypothalamus. This imbalance can be a result of inflammation, free radicals or any type of stress brought on by several factors, such as:

 

• Multi-tasking
• Exhaustion
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Imbalanced hormones
• Infections
• Not getting enough sun exposure
• Substance abuse

 

Even though mental fog is natural as a result of our busy, nonstop lifestyles, it shouldn’t happen frequently. If you feel that you’re experiencing fogginess more often than you’d like, then here are some simple changes you can do to stop it from happening and prevent any future occurrences.

Eat right

It’s amazing how much power our food has over us. Processed foods, foods high in saturated fats and gluten all have a negative effect on your brain. So much so that a study has proven how gluten sensitivity has been linked to low concentration and focus abilities. Also, not getting enough water into your system can lead to brain freeze.

Take your vitamins

If your diet is lacking in antioxidants, vitamins, such as D and B complex, or minerals, such as calcium, zinc and magnesium, then you should start looking for supplements that work along your diet and provide you with all the necessary nourishment you’re lacking.

Get better sleep

We all sleep, but it’s the quality of our sleep that can either make us or break us. High quality sleep improves brain function on a whole. While it’s ideal to get the full 8 hours each night, some people require only 6 for optimal effectiveness. Find what works best for you, then regulate your sleep by creating a relaxing bedtime routine and a comfortable sleeping area.

Work out

When you exercise, you send fresh, oxygenated blood to your entire body, mainly your brain. This boosts its cognitive functions and diminishes brain fog. Studies have proven how exercise can improve learning and study skills, optimize concentration and memory skills.

Find a hobby

While it may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what needs to be done, let alone find time to enjoy a hobby, there are ways to incorporate fun, relaxing activities into your weekly schedule. The first step is to carve out some “me” time and stop thinking it’s selfish, like most of us do. The second step is to find something you enjoy doing just to chill out. It could be meditating by yourself in a quiet room with scented candles, or a class or club and getting to meet new people. The final step is to decompress and enjoy.

Brain fog is completely reversible. You need to do the work and find out what works for you. Each one of us is unique, so it may be a bit challenging at first to find that perfect fit. But you’ll be glad you put in the effort once you regain clarity and be able to perform at your best.

5 Steps To Boost Your Motivation Skills

 

It is no secret that life can be tough. This is especially true for anyone set on living a life of fulfillment and achievement. Probably the most important intrinsic factor responsible for rising above the rest of the population is motivation. 

 

Motivation is the one variable that allows you to push yourself when those around you give up and seek out one challenge after another to conquer. 

 

If you are currently experiencing a dry spell in the way of motivation or even if you have never thought of yourself as a driven individual, but would like to become one, this article is a must read. 

 

Here we will discuss 5 helpful steps that, in no particular order, are an effective way to enhance your overall motivation and drive to achieve the goals you have set for yourself! 

 

Know Your Why

 

While it may seem obvious, knowing your reasoning and passion behind anything you pursue is critical. When you first set out on a goal or achievement, your “why” for doing so typically starts out pretty clear. However, somewhere in the grind of working towards this goal, this foundation can quickly become obscured. 

 

Make no mistake; any time you are tirelessly working towards something worthwhile, no matter how important, there WILL be days in which you feel less motivated than others. Remaining conscientious of why you started in this first place serves as your second (or third, or fourth) wind to get back up and keep pushing. 

 

Know Your Direction

 

Extreme motivation has a tendency to cause one to put their head down and work like a maniac. While there are times that this mindset is beneficial, some sense of direction must be maintained. Big goals rarely consist of point A and point B. 

 

Instead, it is important to have a general outline in mind of each specific step towards your destination. So yes, while keeping your nose to the grindstone is a must, looking up every now and then to adjust and begin the next phase of your blueprint is the only way to continue heading in the right direction! 

 

Allow Small Victories

 

No matter how much (or little) motivation you have towards a goal, failing to enjoy small successes in pursuit of the finish line is a sure fire way to run out of gas before you get there. 

 

While resting on your laurels and settling for less than what you want must be avoided, depriving yourself of fulfillment along the way is also detrimental. In pursuit of your goals, take some time to reward yourself when you accomplish one of the (often many) small steps to get there. 

 

You Versus You, Not You Versus Them 

 

This is a step that almost all of us need to hear. Keep in mind that your goals are YOUR goals. Letting other people’s pursuits dictate what you strive for is a slippery slope. After all, you will never find the motivation required to achieve anything great without a personal conviction to do so. Whatever it is you want, the only comparison to be made is to the person you were the day before. 

 

Controlled Tunnel Vision

 

Consider this fact: whatever big goal or achievement you are after most likely involves only one facet of your life. Whether this goal is career, athletic or personally oriented, the rest of your life is not going to stop while you go after it. It is inevitable that much of your motivation and energy is going to be focused on the biggest victory you are after. 

 

However, I can assure you that your sense of fulfillment will be diminished upon reaching the finish line and realizing you have neglected every other facet of who you are to get there. Balance is always key. Don’t let the rest of your life fall to the wayside while you chase one dream! 

 

4 Diets You Should Never Use

 

If you are reading this, chances are that you have decided to make a change in your eating habits. The fact that this part of your life is something you would like to improve is admirable, as so many of us get caught up in the fray of every day life that we do not even realize just how poorly our choice of food becomes! 

 

No matter what your job, hobbies or goals may be, the choices you make when it comes to fueling your body are the absolute foundation for performance. That being said, frequent stops at the drive thru on your way home and microwaved “meals” only lead to decreased performance in everything you do as well as overall quality of life. 

 

Given the fact that diets come and go every single day, with one fad diet screaming in your eye after another, this article will not focus on naming specific diets to avoid. Instead, we will discuss four key characteristics of any diet you may consider starting that will serve as bright red flags that allow you to steer clear!

 

1.     Extreme Caloric Restriction

 

One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of fad diets make is encouraging people to drastically reduce their caloric intake from day one. For example, the standard diet usually consists of around 2,000 calories. If any diet instructs you to only consume, let’s say, 1,200 calories from the very beginning, forget about it! 

 

This is a fallacy for a couple of reasons. First of all, the most important aspect of any diet you choose to follow is consistency. If you fall of the wagon after a week or so, every eating plan ever created is going to fail. Do you want to know a great way to avoid sticking to a diet? Being miserable will get you there QUICK! 

 

Another reason this type of diet is a no-no is the bodily response to acute caloric restriction. Sure, reducing your caloric intake is how weight is lost. However, this should be done gradually. 

 

Ironically, when you instantly begin eating far less calories than the body is used to, you actually signal a sort of starvation response. Your body is literally hardwired for survival, and instead of shedding excess bodyweight; it will literally do everything it can to spare it. The end result: being hungry all the time and still not losing weight. 

 

2.     Completely Eliminating A Macronutrient 

 

In case you are not aware, there are three key macronutrients: carbs, protein and fat. Your body needs each of these to repair and carry out vital functions. While it is true that consuming a proper ratio of these nutrients is beneficial, eliminating any of them entirely is a mistake. 

 

Many diets that you are sure to come across will preach the miracle of abstaining from a certain macronutrient for a lengthy period of time. Simply put, don’t buy into it! 

 

3.     Weekly Or Daily “Cheating”

 

Remember how we talked about the importance of consistency as it pertains to sticking to a diet? Well here’s the thing: a healthy relationship with food needs to be a lifestyle, not a 6-week crash course. If you notice, a lot of diets basically have you starving yourself or eating things you hate all week before “allowing” you to have a cheat meal or day on the weekend. Essentially, you deprive yourself of enjoying food for days on end and the gorge on an unhealthy feast of your choice for one day. 

 

Make no mistake; one day of stuffing your face with junk food CAN undo an entire week of healthy eating. Your body doesn’t just reset its caloric calculator every morning; there is no “cycle”. Furthermore, this way of eating significantly increases your chances are developing an eating disorder. 

 

4.     General Absurdity 

 

Let’s keep this one simple. If a particular diet sounds absolutely ridiculous, it is. The things you can find out there can get crazy. For example, consuming every single meal in liquid form or only eating celery sticks and quinoa for two weeks is not going to magically chisel out your beach body. 

 

Use your own discretion here. You are not a lab rat taking part in a clinical trial. Any diet you decide to adhere to needs to at least appear reasonable from the get go! 

3 Benefits Of Working Out At Home

Here’s the deal, we all know tat exercise should be a regular part of our daily lives. This practice alone provides an enormous amount of benefits to virtually every facet of not only our bodies, but also our quality of life in general. Hopefully we can all agree that this is a fact. 

 

Another fact that probably won’t be considered controversial is that most of us are so busy that the idea of cramming literally anything else into our daily schedules seems out of the question. 

 

In this article, we are going to propose a solution that serves as a middle ground between these two facts: working out in your own home. Fitting in an exercise routine in the comfort of your home comes with many benefits. Here are 3 examples of how this routine can finally provide you with a way to manage the craziness of day-to-day life, while also keeping your body healthy and fit. 

 

Time Efficiency 

 

When it comes to going to the gym, there can be a lot of time required in the process besides the actual workout. For many people, the commute to and from the local gym can often take longer than the actual workout! This is especially true if you are in the habit of working out right after work, 5 o’clock traffic is a real bummer. 

 

This fact alone keeps many individuals from even attempting to establish a fitness routine. Time, especially in our world today, is a precious commodity. The last thing most of us can afford is to dedicate several hours of our day to workout for, at most, an hour. 

 

Working out at home is the solution to this issue. There is not extra time involved (you’re going home anyway, hopefully), and zero time spent waiting for a piece of equipment or rushing to make it to a group exercise class on time. When home is your gym, everything you need is already right there waiting for you any time you are ready! 

 

Cost Efficiency

 

While having access to the large array of equipment included in most commercial gyms is neat, it is certainly not a necessity required to get an effective workout in. Even without buying a single piece of equipment, you can easily get the job done. 

 

Your body alone is capable of a ton of things. One of these things is serving as your own personal set of weights. You are probably already aware of the usual bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats and burpees. These fundamental movements alone can whip you into shape. However, there are many more creative exercises you can literally perform in your living room using alone your body. 

 

Even if you decide some equipment is required, the price you will pay for a few items such as resistance bands, a jump rope or even a couple of kettle bells will still cost you less than a single months membership at many gyms. 

 

Whether you decide to build a fitness routine around bodyweight exercises alone or pick up a few extra pieces of equipment, working out at home certainly saves money in the long run! 

 

Free Of Distractions And Insecurity

 

Two common factors that keep a lot of people out of the gym are the annoying patrons that hog the equipment while they incessantly check social media and the feeling that other people in the building are judging them. 

 

Needless to say, making your home the gym solves both of these annoyances automatically. In the home environment, you are able to enjoy a focused workout in which challenging your body and improving your physical fitness are uninhibited by other people.