Chapter 4

‘You don’t need to see the full staircase; just take the first step.’ Martin Luther King Jnr

Within Japanese philosophy there exists a potentially life changing concept known as Ikigai. Now I don’t profess to being an expert, but I thought I might share with you this amazing perspective on life. I just love it.

Loosely translated as ‘reason for living’ or ‘your sense of purpose’, Ikigai expounds your reason for getting out of bed each and every morning. Each new day bringing with it a new understanding of what you need to achieve and why. And what you do with that day is all that matters.

Taking time each evening to process the day is an important aspect of Ikigai. Hansei, is the self-reflective time we spend thinking about our day, what went well and what didn’t. If you can do this in a quiet spot away from screaming kids; television and everyday chores, so much the better. If you can’t, do your best. Find a place.

If you need background noise, play some soft music. If you can write your reflections, so much the better. Buy a beautiful journal and with pen in hand or tablet, allow what you want to write to flow. Don’t hold back.

Your reflections don’t have to be about work, it can be about a conversation you’ve had, or just a thought that popped into your head. It’s not about self-flagellation either. Reflection in this way is not a tool to metaphorically beat yourself up with, it’s an opportunity to reflect on perhaps how things could have been better. And if things went well, don’t forget to reflect on the part you played in that too.

As you write, start to think about your future plans. Allow your mind to think big. This is not a time to be a shrinking violet. Allow your thoughts to determine those goals that are important to you and however you do it, find the time to set them, nurture them and make them a reality.

Many, many years ago, I longed to write a book. My book would be my memoir. It sounded simple. At least it should have been, after all I know what I know about my life. But it wasn’t. Procrastination set in long before I decided to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

As with many goals, there is a catalyst that makes it happen. For me it was the death of loved ones. So, in February 2023, in the same week as my auntie died, I set myself a plan. Reading a number of books on the Japanese Philosophy of Kaizen helped me understand how minuscule steps could make a real difference to my professional and personal aspirations. I just needed to believe and keep pushing forward.

Being someone who will try anything once. Perhaps not skydiving though, or anything that causes too much of an adrenalin rush. I like my feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you very much, I decided to build Kaizen into my everyday life and I absolutely love it.

So, where does Kaizen feature in all this?

Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that promotes continuous improvement. The focus being on collaboration and shared decision making, effective problem solving, empowerment and learning.

Broken down into its two key components – Kai = change and Zen = good – simply put it means – ‘change for the better’. Emerging post World War 2, Kaizen is linked to the post war development of Japan and especially the Car Company Toyota. Associated with maximum quality and performance, and the elimination of waste it is considered one of the most ingenious approaches to organisational success of the Twentieth Century, and remains so today.

But what has Kaizen got to do with achieving your future aspirations? What has it got to do with helping you create change in your life or simply do something different? Well, Tiny steps will help you get there. Not great humongous steps, but tiny ones. Each new step; each new breakthrough providing new opportunities to take you a step further towards your goals.

One of the most amazing things I learned at coaching school was FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real. Just that – False Evidence Appearing Real. What did it mean exactly? We all have reasons why we can’t achieve something. Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough energy.

But all this is simply FEAR. Don’t let FEAR get the better of you.