I’ve got a problem. Well, actually I have at least two problems I’m willing to discuss openly. The first one is my obsession with the bookstore. I pop into the bookstore, at least once a week, (this does not include almost daily Google searches) and just look around waiting for inspiration to strike. Usually gravitating to self-help, whoops, I mean self-improvement, then off to Spirituality, and the journey ends in Arts and Crafts. I don’t actually finish reading all of these books I end up buying. As I said, it’s a problem. (Don’t worry, I upcycle and buy used books on eBay, too.)

Luckily my first problem helps me with my second problem: the fact that my day job as a personal trainer only gives me a taste of what I daydream about - being an Artist, Writer, Spiritual Philosopher, and Relationship Coach (the day job helps mainly with those last two). But similar to scoring that one amazing recipe out of a cookbook (remember those?), if I can score one solid piece of useful information from my first problem, whether it inspires me to paint, be a better listener, engage in a lively discussion about spiritual beliefs (treading lightly here), or learn from an author’s writing style, that first problem becomes part of that daydreaming problem’s solution.

One such half-read book I recently found buried in my closet is entitled Kaizen: The Japanese Secret to Lasting Change by Sarah Harvey. I picked this book up when I was doing a little research for my book over a year ago. “The philosophy of Kaizen isn’t about change for change’s sake but instead identifying particular goals - both short and long term - and then making small manageable steps to achieve those goals,” she states. She continues with, “Rather than forcing us to make big dramatic changes, the method emphasizes doing things incrementally.”

If you are the type who makes lists every morning, scratching each task off as tiny or massive daily victories, has one, three, five, and 10-year goals planned out, you can stop reading right now. This kaizen philosophy is for the rest of us. You know who I am talking to. You are the one who has the running list in your head, where you mentally check things off, flying by the seat of your athletic wear but still getting things done. A real type A, minus. So now, for the rest of us, pull up that list. Bring it to the forefront right now and mentally inscribe: do something today that brings me closer to my daydream. Carve out a moment for an incremental step towards your daydreams. Just a teeny, tiny step. Every. Single. Day. Teeny. Tiny. A google search. An email inquiry. A pulled-out blank piece of paper surrounded by markers or crayons or a pencil to start. Because those steps will add up. Kind of like when the FitBit slapped around your wrist reminds you that you haven’t reached your daily step goal and you stomp around the house like a crazy person just before bedtime to hit it. They add up. Now, imagine if we put that energy into something we actually wanted to do.

So what is it? Have you dreamed of learning another language? Do you want to go back to school? Maybe you want to improve your cooking skills? Maybe you want to be an Artist, a Writer, a Spiritual Philosopher, or a Relationship Coach. Oh wait, those are my daydreams. So maybe not, actually, probably not. Tell me, what is your daydream?

I’m not sure I’ve got this kaizen philosophy down, but what I do have down is making what I call “forward motion” towards pretty much everything on my personal growth list, you know, the one that is floating around in my head. This might sound like a pat on the back, but really I’m simply substantiating my growth style, which is very slow and steady, you know, like kaizen, I think.

I want to be an artist, writer, spiritual philosopher, and relationship coach but will I be? It actually doesn’t ultimately matter. Because call it what you want, kaizen or Forward Motion, I’m taking one tiny step at a time and those steps bring me joy.

What do you want to take teeny-tiny steps toward? I’d love to hear about it so please leave a comment.

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