Building new habits is never easy, especially when we want to stick to the new habits for long term. It needs a lot of dedication and persistence. How can we build good habits? What are the best and most effective ways to build good habits and to improve ourselves?

One method is to focus on small changes for continuous improvement.  It based on a Japanese philosophy that focuses on never being satisfied and working on improvement continuously. It can be applied to any situation be it personal or professional, as it can help anyone who is working on improvement.  The objective is to learn from mistakes and focus on non-value adding activities.

You can always improve yourself. Whether it is about acquiring a new skill or mastering a skill you already know, there is always room for improvement. Anyone who wants to build new habits and improve can follow the following principles:

Do Not Stop

One should never stop learning because there is always room for improvement. There is always something more that we can learn however expert or successful we are. We should always keep learning.

Reinvent the Wheel

Forget the old habits, even if they seem to deliver benefits. Unlearn and learn new ways of doing things. Eliminate old processes and practices.

Be Proactive

Always be proactive. Envisage the obstacles that might come in future. Stop worrying about the obstacles, rather be proactive about them and move forward towards the goals and targets

One size fit all

Do not make assumptions. If something works for someone not necessary, it will work for you as well. Do not follow a one size fits all philosophy. You need to find the best solution as per your requirements.

Keep rectifying

You need to identify areas of improvement and make required modifications or corrections to help you improve.

Get inspiration from people

Learn from people in your circle of influence. Get some new ideas in the process of continuous improvement.

Get feedback from people

Encourage your friends and family to make suggestions if they think areas that you can improve

Never Stop

Never be complacent. Improvement is limitless and can be continued till infinite time.

We should try to do some small improvements each day in order to make large impact in the long run. When we say small improvements, we can start with a target to make 1% improvement every day. Let us begin today with small steps as it is rightly said – “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Laozi