The Japanese have a word that embodies a concept of striving to always improve. A "change for the better", the English translation being a "continuous improvement", or "continual improvement." It is something embraced within business improvement models such as Six Sigma.
The Japanese way encourages small improvements day after day, continuously. To understand that this is an on-going, never-ending improvement process. A "soft and gradual" method opposed to western habits to scrap everything and start with new.
Even though the term is applied to business, it can certainly be applied to your daily life. Making small changes in how you approach your daily life. One can use cigarette smoking as an example. For some, going 'cold turkey' is a method to accomplish something all at once. Yet statistics show it's one of the less effective ways of quitting. For every 100 smokers who quit without aids or counselling, only 10 will remain non-smokers for 12 months.
So maybe a more gradual and persistent move to change a habit is better. In turn one can make changes in attitude by taking small and gradual steps to improve. Staying on a path to change can be difficult but the reward is much greater. Big steps or small steps to change, at least take a step in a new direction, a new attitude.
"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better." - Richard Hooker (English Theologian, Author and Preacher, 1554-1600)
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
Your Thoughts
This morning I have to apologize to several folks that may have commented on various articles. It seems that when a comment is submitted, two entries were getting placed and if I deleted either one, the entire comment was being tossed out. So to those that have tried to strike up a conversation, I am very sorry for that.
Today I did catch the mistake and have a copy of a comment from a recent article. The article was "Enjoy Your Work or Change It", posted on Tuesday, September 19, 2006. A comment from an anonymous reader said, "There are a number of reasons why your job could be less interesting. You can like the job on itself, but when you are dealing with a bunch of idiots inside the company and the people you need to get help from are useless makes it very hard to make yourself up for a change, just imagine something will change eventually?"
I guess my thought is that you have not had great experience with quite a few of the people inside your place of work. And on the surface there are people that may read this and believe you think pretty highly of yourself. And then again, maybe your company is actually like the commercials from Career Builder. So please don't think I'm trying to pass judgement because I really don't know your personal situation.
But the key is that it is 'your' situation and not someone else. Your attitude is your's to determine. The work atmosphere you are working in sounds to be frustrating for you. The choice becomes that either your change the environment or make another change. The stress and irritation is possibly not worth the effect it is likely having on your life.
To sit back and only imagine that things will change is filled with disappointment. I have said it in the past and maybe not enough lately, but movement causes change. While the idle remain forever wishing for a better life, those that step out and create movement will see actual change occur.
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” - Robert Kennedy
Today I did catch the mistake and have a copy of a comment from a recent article. The article was "Enjoy Your Work or Change It", posted on Tuesday, September 19, 2006. A comment from an anonymous reader said, "There are a number of reasons why your job could be less interesting. You can like the job on itself, but when you are dealing with a bunch of idiots inside the company and the people you need to get help from are useless makes it very hard to make yourself up for a change, just imagine something will change eventually?"
I guess my thought is that you have not had great experience with quite a few of the people inside your place of work. And on the surface there are people that may read this and believe you think pretty highly of yourself. And then again, maybe your company is actually like the commercials from Career Builder. So please don't think I'm trying to pass judgement because I really don't know your personal situation.
But the key is that it is 'your' situation and not someone else. Your attitude is your's to determine. The work atmosphere you are working in sounds to be frustrating for you. The choice becomes that either your change the environment or make another change. The stress and irritation is possibly not worth the effect it is likely having on your life.
To sit back and only imagine that things will change is filled with disappointment. I have said it in the past and maybe not enough lately, but movement causes change. While the idle remain forever wishing for a better life, those that step out and create movement will see actual change occur.
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” - Robert Kennedy
Friday, September 22, 2006
Time For Change
Time for a short break. This picture was taken in London while visiting there on business with my wife. It can also serve as a reminder to you that now is a good time to start. A good time to begin your change for the better. A good time to start working towards your vision. Don't put it off any longer, start today."They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Seen Your Family Lately
Today was probably another day for everyone. Possibly up at 5:30 am and getting the kids off to school. On the crowded road by 7:00 am for an 8:00 am start at work. The day is full of business with a short amount of time for lunch. At 5:00 pm you are hustling to get out the door for the same crowded ride home. By 6:00 pm you have made your way into you driveway. Exhaustion and stress from the day weighs heavily upon you, but now your family and home await.
There it is, family life down to one hour at most in the morning and maybe four in the evening. Difficult at best to keep your family life in order when only five hours can be devoted. For many it is probably less then that. How can we keep this part of our life in balance?
There are many places containing information about this subject but one should start with understanding why it is important. From one such place, Soul Purpose Academy, they offer the following.
"Family is the foundation for human beings. No matter what age we are, we are always seeking the "experience of family". The primary purpose for family is to provide an environment in which the members can have their primal needs met to feel safe, loved and wanted and to have their essential needs met in order to be seen, heard and recognized. When any of these primal or essential needs are missing our heart continues to seek this level of comfort and nurturing even beyond the genetic family into the extended family of our community, work, religion etc."
So one can see that without a well balanced family life such that your job over whelms all else in your life, troubles will begin to creep in. Losing touch with your children, divorce and many other issues can start to make your family and home crumble. How one can avoid this is to research and read about different ideas to work this part of your life out.
In an article from the Wall Street Journal, they offer some suggestions from job scheduling changes to readjusting your career. One also needs to make the most of the time they have. This is easy to say because many come home very tired. Yet you can try different methods to help you in this area of life. In example, evaluate what it is you feel is success. In an online article at eZineArticles.com, you can learn how to start towards balancing this spoke on your wheel of life.
“The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you.” - Kendall Hailey
Reacquaint yourself with your family and strengthen an important area of your life.
There it is, family life down to one hour at most in the morning and maybe four in the evening. Difficult at best to keep your family life in order when only five hours can be devoted. For many it is probably less then that. How can we keep this part of our life in balance?
There are many places containing information about this subject but one should start with understanding why it is important. From one such place, Soul Purpose Academy, they offer the following.
"Family is the foundation for human beings. No matter what age we are, we are always seeking the "experience of family". The primary purpose for family is to provide an environment in which the members can have their primal needs met to feel safe, loved and wanted and to have their essential needs met in order to be seen, heard and recognized. When any of these primal or essential needs are missing our heart continues to seek this level of comfort and nurturing even beyond the genetic family into the extended family of our community, work, religion etc."
So one can see that without a well balanced family life such that your job over whelms all else in your life, troubles will begin to creep in. Losing touch with your children, divorce and many other issues can start to make your family and home crumble. How one can avoid this is to research and read about different ideas to work this part of your life out.
In an article from the Wall Street Journal, they offer some suggestions from job scheduling changes to readjusting your career. One also needs to make the most of the time they have. This is easy to say because many come home very tired. Yet you can try different methods to help you in this area of life. In example, evaluate what it is you feel is success. In an online article at eZineArticles.com, you can learn how to start towards balancing this spoke on your wheel of life.
“The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you.” - Kendall Hailey
Reacquaint yourself with your family and strengthen an important area of your life.
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