Imagine that you are finally able to shake off unpleasant habits without turning your life upside down overnight. The only thing you have to invest is 1 minute of your valuable time a day.
Most of you will say that this is not possible. I will say it is and I will try to explain how you can do it.
Motivation has to come from within. If you are not motivated it is hard or impossible for anybody else to motivate you. Today you want to conquer the world (or maybe finally learn another language), tomorrow you forgot all about it and this Netflix series you just started watching is more interesting than your pursuit of self-optimization.
A vicious circle that presents itself in its purest form around New Year when the gym in January is teeming with people with good intentions who tend to stay away from it for the next eleven months. Your comfort zone has won (yet) again before a new routine had a chance to assert itself.
1- Minute Method: Small Steps are the Key to Success
To overcome your inner demons the 1- Minute Method is arguably the most useful productivity technique in the world.
Instead of doing something twice a week for several hours, you block yourself 1 minute every day at the same time to train for your goal.
This means that even with a busy schedule, you can make lasting changes for the better - in private as well as in everyday work.
Let me explain it using an example:
Instead of cleaning your email inbox at the end of week when too many emails have accumulated you could block yourself every week day 1 minute to clean it up.
Kaizen - the Philosophy behind this Methodology
Kaizen means “change for the better.” Translated as “good” (kai) “change” (zen), Kaizen is a Japanese productivity philosophy that focuses on deliberate, continuous improvement.
While Kaizen originated as a business strategy, it works well for any area of your life that needs improvement. The message is: Take "baby steps"on your way towards a bigger goal and try to improve each day by 1%.
What are the Advantages of Kaizen compared to other Productivity Methods?
1. If you learn new routines in small steps instead of making big plans, you reduce the risk of overwhelming yourself.
2. Frequent repetitions guarantee a better and faster performance than irregular workouts.
3. Success increases motivation and ambition: As soon as you see and feel results, you may voluntarily invest even more time in achieving your goal.
4. Kaizen taps into our brain chemistry. Every day you improve by 1%, you are reinforcing the idea of success in your subconscious mind.
5. With only a minute's effort a day, every excuse is groundless - "I have no time" is no longer an argument!
How do you change for the Better?
Use the 1- Minute Method for at least 66 days in a row to ensure your daily task turns into a routine. According to researchers this is the period it takes to turn unusual activities into an automatic process (routine or habit).
You can find the Original Post Here.