A better life – One French fry at a time

March 2, 2011 in Finding Passion, Personal Development with 6 Comments

A couple of years ago a popular book called One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way wasreleased. The author, psychologist Robert Maurer, described the process he used to lose weight.  He didn’t count calories or carbs or get a personal trainer.

What he did was to throw away one French fry from his plate.  Eventually, it became two, then three French fries, or portions of whatever he was eating.  In this way, Maurer lost 45 pounds in 18 months – a living example of the premise in his book.

Taking tiny steps to achieve a seemingly impossible goal is the foundational premise of kaizen (pronounced “kay-zin”).  This is a Japanese concept that means “continuous incremental improvement.”  Kaizen has become a catchword in American industry leading to terms like Total Quality Control.

What could you do in your personal life with this principle?  Losing weight is an obvious application — but what if you wanted to read the Encyclopedia Americana?  Learn a new language?  Develop new career skills?  Write a book?  Eat an elephant?  Build a new house?  Double your income?  How could you approach it as one French fry at a time?

If you read about 10 minutes a day, you’ll read an average book a month.  If you write one page a day, you’ll have a book ready to print in six months.  If you stop three negative comments a day from coming out of your mouth, in 90 days you will have saved the world from 270 negative blows.  Start throwing away those French fries – you’ll see a brand new you appear.

If developing that book one page at a time is part of your plan for success, join me for the most exciting live event this year – Write to the Bank – right here at the Sanctuary in beautiful Franklin, TN.

To review the process for getting the French fries out of your life, begin with the Goals section on page 61 of the new 48 Days To The Work You Love.

Just what is the change that you are going to make in your life this year?

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  • http://www.joshbulloc.com Josh Bulloc

    That is how I am building my business. I know if I am not careful I will neglect my family for a goal so I set small incremental goals to grow my business.

    Josh Bulloc
    Kansas City, MO
    How can I help?

  • mattie dibona

    i love this about the french fries. i know i have wasted my dream but i want this to be a year of difference and change in my life in many ways/

    • http://www.48days.com Dan Miller

      Mattie – it’s never too late to start making a dream come true.

  • Annie (Evadne) Smith

    Recently, while “dragging” my feet on a project I came across this passage of Scripture in Zechariah that set my feet from “dragging” to “running”….It says….”Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…..Zechariah 4:10 NLT. I was so inspired by this passage and as I meditated on it…revelation began to flow. I thought about Moses and his stick and David and his sling…. I thought about Rehab and her string.. and Dorcas and her needle….all were used by God….then I asked myself the question “what do you have Evadne?” When I started to answer myself….you guessed it…I had so much more that God could use….life for me has changed radically because of this verse of scripture and do hope it will minister to someone today. God bless.

  • Tom Dixon

    I don’t know what I am going to do because right now my blood is boiling. You see I work for the state and the state decided to publish all of our salaries in a sunshine government transparency website. I discovered that I am one of the lowest paid workers in my rank and class, in my bureau and division. I started a blog but I don’t know how to promote it. It lets me vent though. http://stateworkersoutragedinamerica.blogspot.com/
    I am given hard assignments that require the help from these deadbeats that I don’t get. What a waste of taxpayer money. This “division” has 30 people in it. Of those one is a director at $87,000/yr, 2 deputy directors at $70k., 2 secretaries at $37k, (right now I am listening to a $62k financial coordinator shoot the breeze with the guy across the hall who was hired one month after the governor announced a hiring freeze in 2008, who could be helping me with my duties. They pay him about 1K per year more than me, $42k). In the financial coordinator category they pay me $41k, the lady next door who has the same job category as me they pay $54k, (she’s hot and makes sure she dresses that way) The 2 information technology guys they pay $69K and $62k respectively. When I proposed a web camera to save money on travel they gave me the assignment but neither of the two IT guys would offer any productive and timely help. These people won’t collaborate with me because they feel that their salaries make them too valuable to be team players I guess. The one step I have taken is to apply for the director’s position. I know I won’t get much sympathy from taxpayers in the private sector but this really sucks. I find myself wanting to go to war with these people 24/7. I hate them.

  • Annie (Evadne) Smith

    Tom – The only power you have over anyone who hurts you – is the power to forgive. When you say, “I no longer hold it against you,’ both sides are set free from the negative bond that exists between you. But there is more: we also free ourselves from the burden of being “the offended one”. As long as we don’t forgive those who have wounded us, we take them with us, or worse, we carry them like an albatross around our neck. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies, then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them.Forgiveness, therefore, not only liberates the other party, but it liberates us too! It is the only way to true freedom!
    Now, forgiving doesn’t always mean forgetting. Though we forgive somebody, the memory might stay with us for along time. We can even carry it in our bodies as a physical sign. But forgiveness changes how we remember. It converts the curse into a blessing. When we forgive those who hurt and offend us, we no longer have to suffer as victims of events over which we have no control.
    Forgiveness allows us to take back our power and not let the events destroy us. It actually allows those experiences to deepen our wisdom and sharpen our discernment. So then, forgiveness is the way to go in this situation. Colossians 3:13 NIV – “…forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
    Life in today’s world is very difficult and many times seem unfair and unjust. Life will be easier when we recognize that although we are treated unjustly, we need not collect and carry injustices as burdens…these injustices will slow us down and hinder our progress. Keep a positive outlook, keep moving, keep smiling. Do not let injustices stop you or slow you down. Keep doing what you feel is good and right. Do your work and keep moving toward worthwhile goals. Smile in the face of disappointment and adversity, you will find your burdens lighter and your success journey more pleasant. God’s peace.