187. One Small Step, The Kaizen Way: Dr. Robert Maurer

5 snips

Jul 18, 2019

In this podcast, Dr. Robert Maurer discusses the concept of Kaizen and how making small steps can lead to big changes. He shares insights on why starting with small habits is more effective than setting large goals. The podcast explores the power of small steps in various areas of life, including relationships and creative progress. It also discusses the use of Kaizen in language learning and breaking tasks down. The episode concludes with a discussion on being present in conversations and a call to support the show.

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Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 3min

The Origins of Kaizen

03:23 • 19min

The Power of Small Steps

22:27 • 5min

The Power of Small Daily Moments in Relationships

27:34 • 3min

Embracing Small Steps for Creative Progress

30:04 • 6min

Using the Subconscious Mind and Patterns to Learn a Language

35:54 • 2min

Using Kaizen to Break Tasks Down

38:04 • 13min

Being Present in Conversations and Supporting the Show

50:37 • 2min

Dr. Robert Maurer (@Dr_RobertMaurer) is author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. He’s also Director of Behavioral Sciences for the Family Practice Residency Program at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and a faculty member with the UCLA School of Medicine. In One Small Step, Dr. Maurer shows you how to make really big changes with ridiculously small steps.

I first discovered One Small Step on the Amazon page for my own book, The Heart to Start. Amazon kept showing me that people who bought my book were also buying Robert’s book. After it had been sitting there for week after week, I thought to myself, I’ve gotta see what this is about.

You’ve heard me talk about taking small steps on this podcast, including my episode on how to build good habits with B.J. Fogg. It turns out there’s a name for this practice. The Japanese call it Kaizen.

In this conversation, you’ll learn about:

How do large goals put us into fear mode? Learn about the neuroscience of why we don’t take actions.
How can you start doing anything with small steps? You can start an exercise habit simply by standing on a treadmill, or a flossing habit while flossing only one tooth.
How did Dr. Maurer himself write his book by committing to only ninety seconds per day of writing?

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David Kadavy is the author of The Heart to Start and Design for Hackers. Through the Love Your Work podcast and his Love Mondays newsletter, David explores what it takes to make it as a creative.

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Show notes: http://kadavy.net/blog/posts/robert-maurer-kaizen/