We live in a world obsessed with instant gratification. Same-day delivery, swipe-right validation, shortcuts to success. And if it doesn’t happen fast, we bail. We quit workouts after a week, ditch goals when they get hard, and jump ship at the first sign of resistance. But that’s not how anything meaningful is built. That mindset? It’s a trap. Because the things that truly last—health, purpose, resilience, mastery—they’re not downloaded. They’re earned. Slowly. Quietly. One tiny step at a time.
We’re impatient. We expect six-packs in six days. We give up on new habits before they have a chance to root. We confuse speed with progress and confuse action with impact. We jump into the deep end without learning to swim, and then wonder why we’re drowning. Discipline gets replaced with dopamine. Consistency gets crushed under the weight of comparison. And when things don't move fast enough, we label it failure instead of foundation.
But what if we’ve just been measuring progress wrong?
What if progress wasn’t about pace at all? What if the secret wasn’t to go faster, but to go deeper—consistently, deliberately, one small step at a time? That’s where an old Japanese principle Kaizen steps in—not flashy, not loud, but devastatingly effective.
Kaizen means "change for the better." It doesn’t demand perfection. It doesn’t care how fast you go. It just wants you to show up, again and again and Improve by 1% today. Then do it again tomorrow. Over a year, that’s a 37x improvement. That’s also pretty impressive.
Kaizen has deep roots in Japanese culture, especially after World War II. Originally adopted in Japanese manufacturing—most famously at Toyota—it became a national mindset. Workers at every level were empowered to suggest and implement small changes in processes, leading to world-class efficiency and quality. But Kaizen is not limited to factory floors. It is woven into everyday life in Japan—schools, homes, communities—where people seek to make small, thoughtful improvements each day.
継続は力なりKeizoku wa chikara nari → “Continuity is power.”
One beautiful example of this is the Japanese tea ceremony, or Chanoyu. Masters of the tea ceremony spend years perfecting subtle, almost imperceptible movements—pouring water, folding cloth, positioning utensils—with the goal of continuous refinement. They don’t aim for speed or showmanship. They aim for presence and precision. That’s Kaizen in motion: humble, intentional, and lifelong.
Another is in traditional Japanese martial arts like Kendo or Judo, where practitioners—kendoka or judoka—train the same basic techniques thousands of times. It’s not about learning more moves; it’s about mastering the fundamentals inch by inch, breath by breath. Black belts aren’t built in intensity—they’re built in repetition. That’s Kaizen through discipline.
It’s about pride in progress, not perfection.
There’s a deeper linguistic insight here too. In many Eastern traditions, from martial arts to meditation, the word "practice" is central. It implies something ongoing, something you return to daily—not something to master and move on from. In Japan, whether it’s the keiko of martial arts or the shugyo of spiritual refinement, practice is a path. Contrast that with the Western mindset, where we chase completion, results, and fast rewards. We want the finish line. They focus on the next step. That subtle shift—viewing life as a practice—changes everything. It makes space for patience, humility, and lifelong evolution. That’s the heart of Kaizen.
七転び八起き Nana korobi ya oki → “Fall down seven times, get up eight.”
Whether it’s your health, mindset, relationships, business, or daily routine—Kaizen gives you a formula you can actually stick to. Because it’s not overwhelming. It doesn’t set you up to fail. And it doesn’t require talent, luck or timing. Just intention.
Outdo me—Kaizen in Action:
The 1% Challenge Start where you are. Add one rep, one second, one tiny upgrade every day. That’s it. You can do that right?
The Circuit (3-5 rounds):
Push-ups: Start with 5 reps (add 1 per day)
Squats: Start with 10 reps (add 1 per day)
Plank hold: Start at 20 seconds (add 5 seconds per day)
Jumping jacks: Start with 30 reps (add 5 per day)
Lunges: 5 per leg (add 1 per day)
Totally adaptable to your experience level—progress by adding weight, increasing intensity, or modifying movements. Kaizen meets you where you are and moves with you.
Forget massive goals. They’re often just procrastination in disguise. Focus on doing a little bit better than yesterday. That’s Kaizen. And that’s how real change sticks.
Let’s see what happens when you don’t give up.
SOMETHING THAT MADE ME THINK
“Don’t make the right decision. Make the decision right.”
Ellen J Langer
Stop waiting for the “right” decision. Most people freeze at crossroads. They overanalyse. They wait for certainty, for a sign, for some divine clarity that never comes.
It’s not about choosing perfectly. It’s about committing once you’ve chosen. You decide, then you make it right—with action, grit, and course-correction.
That’s where confidence is born. Not in the knowing, but in the doing.
So if you’re stuck—pick. Move. Back yourself.
There is no wrong—you’ll make it right as you go.
SOMETHING I LOVE
SOME GOOD ADVICE
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche gave us the idea that you should never trust a thought that occurs to you indoors.
I have never solved a problem while indoors. Not once.
Every idea that’s ever mattered to me arrived the moment I stepped outside. Walking, pacing, drifting—call it what you want.
I left the room, and something clicked.
Back when I worked for myself, that was how I operated. Motion was part of the method. But in my tougher times, when I returned to the corporate world, that instinct got me into trouble, all the time.
Not because I wasn’t doing the work—but because I wasn’t at my desk. I’d be out walking, thinking, actually solving the thing. But to management, if you weren’t physically locked in place, you might as well not exist.
This was all pre-Covid. Before “working from home” became a thing. Before Teams and Zoom swallowed our lives. Before people started white-knuckling their sanity from the kitchen table, calling it freedom.
Let’s be real—swapping an office chair for a dining chair doesn’t solve the problem.
You’re still indoors. Still boxed in. Still staring at walls waiting for inspiration that never shows up.
Clarity doesn’t come through a screen. It doesn’t arrive while you’re doom-scrolling, fidgeting, or pretending to focus while staring into the dark pupil of a PC camera.
It comes when you move. When you go outside and let your nervous system recalibrate to something real, wilder, more honest.
Funny thing is, I was totally stuck on how to wrap up this newsletter. I just couldn’t think of a good way to end it. Total block.
So I went for a run.
Keep moving forward 1% every day. Big love Chris
Thank you for your master class on "Kaizen"...
Yes 1% at a time... Very true
Great article Chris. Last section hit like a freight train. That's your secret sauce man. That's why I'm in. Keep going!