Welcome to the middle of the week.
Have you ever reached a goal only to realize that you don’t know where to go next?
Maybe you have achieved a level of contentment but you feel unfulfilled or even bored.
There are two concepts that may help you.
Bryan White gives us a quick introduction of “Kaizen & Ikigai.”
The two terms are synonymous with Japanese culture.
Kaizen is the term used for a commitment to continuous improvement. It is mainly used as a business philosophy in Japan but could be applied to personal development. The main focus is to make small improvements daily, which will lead to changes that last.
Bryan White says that constant daily improvements result in more motivation to keep moving forward, like a positive cycle.
Avoiding procrastination could be another benefit of adopting the Kaizen philosophy.
This would have been helpful in high school and/or college. But even today, I’m finding many benefits to having this mindset.
Consistency is one of the biggest keys to success in any area of life.
Striving for continuous improvement will help you avoid complacency and may help with feelings of fulfillment.
Which leads us to ikigai.
Ikigai basically means finding meaning for your life. It is about self-realization and contribution to society. He says that this is so culturally important in Japan that even after retirement, many people continue to work.
This philosophy of life may take some time to figure out. According to Bryan White, the criteria for finding your ikigai are:
- What you like to do
- What the world needs
- What you are good at
- What you can get paid for
The intersection of these criteria is where you will find your ikigai.
If you’re not sure how to find your ikigai, there is a five-step method included in the book. This isn’t a simple task for everyone though. You may even find that it changes and evolves over time. It may be helpful to start with small ideas and build from there.
The most important thing is to really believe that it is possible to find your ikigai.
In “Kaizen & Ikigai,” Bryan White also discusses finding the state of flow in whatever you love doing, as well as what diet to adopt for longevity.
I found this quick read to be very helpful in my quest to learn and grow.
I hope this added some value to your life today. Thanks for reading!
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Sachi Reads Daily 