The Art of Continuous Improvement - Why Is It Important?

Life - It has a funny way of creeping up on us, doesn't it?  One day, you are running in your mom's front yard, chasing the family pet without a care in the world and the next moment, you are trying to juggle your work, family, and monetary responsibilities so you don't drown in the sea of ever-changing things you have to do. It's interesting because, as we get older, and have more and more responsibilities hoisted upon our plate like a large spaghetti dish at our favorite Italian restaurant, we have a tendency to forget about ourselves in some way.  I'm not saying forget about ourselves in the since that you don't know if you are alive or not (however, you can argue that in some unhappy household/marriages, this is INDEED the case), but I mean that we rarely have time to take a minute to reflect on what we desire for our future and how we can get there.  We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of every day, that we forget, "What do WE want."  In this first of a multi-segment series on LIFE (How to Get What You Want), I start with a concept that many people never consider once they graduate college and move on from the late night beer parties and suite shindigs - Improvement.  

Now, I'm not saying that we don't consider improvement once we graduate college at all.  Many people work to get better at their jobs so they can make more money as they climb the sometimes greased corporate ladder. Many of us, however, forget what it was like when we were young and we wanted to get better at EVERYTHING. We wanted to be sing better, run faster, and dress nicer. Everything that we saw older people do, we wanted to aspire to get to that level.  What occurs, however, once we reach a certain level of acceptance from our peers, i.e. you look, dress, act, and interact like most people, we stop trying to get better at these things because we think we've made it.  The stark reality of this situation, however, is that, while we may not look like a dork in our attire (some of us, that is) or be socially awkward in most situations (once again, this is NOT all of us), there is still much room for improvement in our lives.  It is my belief that you should have this same child like approach to life and try to get better at EVERYTHING for your future. There are a few simple reasons why:

IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING BETTER, YOU'RE GETTING WORST

This is one of those statements that sounds a little crazy when you first hear it, but it actually makes sense. Think about it: if you aren't consistently working to improve some skill, whether it is writing, singing, or dancing, etc, doesn't it naturally atrophy over time?  There are so many things that we get "okay" at in life, that we just stop trying to work to get better at. Rather it's being a better father, husband, or (cough) lover, sometimes we get so comfortable when we reach a certain point, that we just stop trying to improve. What occurs when we do this is that all those involved on the other side don't have as much (or any) excitement at the interaction because it may have become so predictable and "regular" that there is nothing to be excited about. If you desire to be great at anything, you have to consistently work on it to get better, or you'll get into a rut and everyone will know it.

LIFE IS ABOUT HAVING SOMETHING TO SHOOT FOR

Remember when you were a kid and the only thing you desired was to achieve that next goal in your life? Whether it was to get your license, go to college, or make the varsity basketball, when we were younger, we consistently dreamed about the future. As we get older, however, we start to only think about today, and, eventually, we even start to live in the past. Continuous improvement will prevent this from happening, as we are always working to achieve some goal in the future for our betterment. Having something in the future to shoot for often gives one greater motivation to attack the day.  Some of the most miserable people in lives are those who don't have any goals or hopes of achieving anything in the future. By living a life of continuous improvement in EVERYTHING, you always have some future goal that you are working to achieve, as your target will move further and further out, as you improve.

THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE WILL IMPROVE

By attempting to be better at everything you do, you will consistently improve the quality of your daily life. By trying to get down to your "playing weight" again and then working to be in the best shape of your life, you will have more energy and enthusiasm for the day. By working to be better at your job, you have the opportunity for future promotions. By trying to be the best husband/father you can be, you will improve your family interaction and quality time together. Also, by working to get better at something that you've always dreamed of doing, you are fulfilling the natural innate human desire of mastery. This is why so many people appreciate others who are so very good at something. Intrinsically, we are all born with a desire to be an expert in some respect, and by working to continuously improve in all areas, we give us a better chance of making this a reality.

Continuous Improvement - The words bring to mind visions of a Buddhist Temple with the Dalai Lama standing in the background, encouraging one to find enlightenment. While that may be a little too spiritual for some, the concept is very practical and applicable to our everyday lives to reach heights of achievement and joy that most never see because they simply stop trying.  And trying (as we know) is half the battle...GI JOE. :-)

Ken Middleton is an Account Manager at TEKsystems that specializes in IT staffing and services. He is a graduate of UNC-Pembroke and current MBA student at Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech.

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