Comments on: Kaizen for personal development

By: Luke

Luke — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:16:24 +0000

Intersting blog, but with one thing I have to correct you:
Kaizen does not mean what you wrote: school and wisdom. The meaning of the kanji 改, (reading: kai) meaning “change” and 善 (reading: zen) meaning “good”.
So what you called literal translation is the actual translation. And as far as I know there is no kai meaning school and no zen meaning wisdom in Japanese…

By: Jaison John

Jaison John — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:49:10 +0000

Hi Steven,

Nice to know that you are interested in Kaizen for personal development. In fact, I too am looking for a standard methodology for personal development which people all over the world can adopt with some customization.

Currently I am lacking resources for various cases (you call it experience). So I would appreciate any support from your blog. I would be certainly much much happier if I can get along with your idea and contribute to it. We want to see the next generation in a better life style with less stress and enjoying their life to the fullest with a higher productivity.

Regards,
Jaison John

By: David Greis

David Greis — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:16:22 +0000

I have worked in the Kaizen format and found it to be both productive and efficient. The most important aspect of the process is complete and utter isolation from the day to day distractions during the process. By creating an atomosphere free of distractions, you are better able to give full attention to the problem that is to be addressed.

By: Verve Coaching:: Life, Growth and Leadership, Boston MA » Archives » Carnival of Powerful Living - January 12, 2007

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 23:24:57 +0000

[...] steven aitchison presents Kaizen for personal development posted at Change your thoughts. [...]

By: Steven Aitchison

Steven Aitchison — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 18:58:34 +0000

Hi Liara

I believe we are all sucked into a world where drink, drugs, and being promiscuous are classed as the norm. We are essentially conforming to the lower societal mind. This is fine until the day one wakes up and starts asking questions of the societal mind.

When you start asking questions of yourself and of others you start to wake up. I started asking a lot of questions, simply because I could and was curious about life.

The more I delved into life the more I realised that happiness wasn’t found at the bottom of my ego. Happiness, to me, was found when I let go of the ego. Letting go of the ego is a hard process and I am still doing it.

The eastern ways appeal to me because they are group-centric and not ego-centric. Practices like Kaizen are for the good of a company, or a group of people. Kaizen, in this case, is for personal development. When we have developed personally we can then help to develop others.

I am also drawn to Buddhism because it is not dogmatic and does not seek to control others like other religions.

Bonsai art is also steeped in Buddhist tradition, particularly Zen Buddhism.

I hope this answers your question.

By: Liara Covert

Liara Covert — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 06:06:41 +0000

Since you are drawn to Kaisen or “becoming good through change,” this suggests your understanding of happiness is also changing. I’m interested in your contemplation about the value of Western practices (you mention work for Hughes, a tech company & your wild weekend parties) and compare that to the appeal of personal development grounded in Japanese Zen traditions. What triggered your discontent in your Western lifestyle? What caused you to turn to Far Eastern ideas as a way to create a new level of inner peace? I have had life experience in the aerospace industry and am personally drawn to Eastern practices. I am especially fond of bonsai art.