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Think small for attainable New Year's resolutions

Making ambitious goals for the year ahead can set you up for disappointment, so try embracing the concept of kaizen instead, says David Robson

27 December 2023

Kaizen concept; the continuous improvement in business for efficiency and effectiveness. Kaizen cycle icon on wood cubes; improve, continuous, process, result, standard solution. Quality improvement.

Parradee Kietsirikul/Getty Images

AFTER our joyful revelling comes the inevitable season of good intentions. When we make our New Year’s resolutions, we often set ourselves ambitious goals – to run a half-marathon, learn a language or write a novel. One reason these resolutions often fail is that our focus is too wide – we think about the reward at the end of the journey, not considering the little steps that we need to take to get there. Then we end up feeling defeated and dejected as we fail to make the progress we want.

Perhaps we should all try to apply the Japanese concept of…

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