Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy that focuses on small incremental continuous improvements. The goal is not to make huge sudden leaps, but small gradual improvements whose cumulative effect is enormous over time. Kaizen is most notably associated with “The Toyota Way” or more generically, “Lean Manufacturing”. But it can be applied to every area of life – our finances inclusive. The power of small, continuous improvements in our finances cannot be underestimated.
Sometimes achieving a big goal like financial independence can feel nearly impossible. Many people seek financial advice in the hope that I can ‘fix everything’. I can't. Well, not immediately. There will be some quick wins, some of them extremely valuable, but my best work lies in helping people to continuously make the incremental improvements needed to achieve financial success. This is where KAIZEN can help. By taking simple incremental steps or implementing something little each moment, you will be channeling towards fulfilling your big financial goals. Whatever your 2023 financial goal may be, I hope these three tips will help you:
1️. Develop a process that works for you:
Create an actionable process that is organised and repeatable for a specific financial goal or activity. If one of your financial goals is to cut down on spending, a working process should highlight where you spend your money, categorise the spending into needs and wants, track your spending, and shed some light on how to plug spending leaks. All things being equal, err on the side of a simple process that is easy to action.
2️. Prioritise daily actions:
If you are feeling overburdened and have so many things to do, start with the action that will be the easiest to implement. Stay focused and progress slowly, but stay disciplined and consistent to do the tasks. A daily action that could save you money is taking a packed lunch to work. Consistently eating out is one of the quickest budget-busters out there. One of my daily actions as a published writer is to write a minimum of 700 words a day - 700 words a day, 5 days a week, and at the end of 1 week, I will have twelve pages written – that is an entire chapter!
3. Seek to improve every day:
Getting your personal finances better organised should save you time, spare you stress and swell your disposable income. The Kaizen effect is the idea that continuous improvement in your process will eventually yield massive gains. There is plenty you can do to improve your finances over your lunch break or in a spare spot of time on a rainy Saturday. The trick is to stop thinking it won’t make a difference and realise that the little things (e.g. reading a chapter of a personal finance book, automating your savings, etc.) add up to big wins down the road.
Kaizen is all about you. Every day you take small incremental actions to improve your finances, you are getting a little closer to achieving financial independence.
About Nike
Oyenike Adetoye (aka Nike) is an impactful speaker, author and personal finance expert. A Chartered Management Accountant by profession. Nike is the founder and CEO of LifTED Finance, a private financial firm that educates, coaches and supports people on their journey through financial fitness and wealth management.