EASY AND REALISTIC IMPROVEMENT1 Percent Better Every Day
As Benjamin Franklin said, “Little strokes fell great oaks.” It’s so easy to get lost in big dreams and aspirations. Sometimes goals can get so big
that even taking one little step toward a dream feels impossible. What
do you need to make tomorrow just 1 percent better? Not 100 percent,
not even 10 percent, just 1 percent.
The Japanese word kaizen means “improvement,” and it forms the basis of a philosophy found in both Japanese and American businesses.
Kaizen-focused companies aim to make small, incremental improvements
one person at a time instead of grand and drastic company-wide
changes. Kaizen’s concept of simple, continuous improvement reminds
us that a little positive change can go a long way. You can make tomorrow
1 percent better by changing just one little thing, like doing some
quick stretches in the morning, treating yourself to a pick-me-up coffee
in the afternoon, giving someone you love a hug, or reading one page of
a book. It’s not a major feat; it’s just one easy step that makes each day a
little better than the last. You’ll find prompting on each day of the work
week to write in how you will make tomorrow 1 percent better than
today. There is no way to go wrong when striving for 1 percent better.
HOW PRACTICING GRATITUDE CAN CHANGE YOURLIFE FOR THE BETTERGratitude is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “the quality of being
thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”
The old adage “The grass is always greener” seems to be at its height in
today’s day and age. It’s so easy to lose sight of our own reasons to be
appreciative of what we have with social media projecting images of
other people’s seemingly perfect lives in our faces day in and day out. So
how can we move from feeling down about our own lives to loving each
of our days and living to our greatest potential? That’s where gratitude
comes in. Taking the time to list what we are grateful for helps to
redirect our minds to the positive and special moments in our lives. It’s a
reframing of your experience, a rewriting of your story that gives you the
freedom to be as happy as you decide. When our appreciation for what
we have in the here and now grows, so do our peace, joy, and positivity.
You will find a prompt to list what you are grateful for on each daily page
of this planner. Whether you list your dog, a treat you had, a difficult
experience that inspired courage, or simply a roof over your head, there
is no wrong answer.
“Strive for continuous improvement,instead of perfection.”
—KIM COLLINS
Copyright © 2019 by Moorea Seal. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
