People frequently give up on their New Year's resolutions not long after making them, quit exercising within two weeks, or return to their former money habits after a month of trying to save up. However, psychologist and writer Dr. Robert Maurer believes there is a solution. According to him, specific strategies can help you make significant changes in any sphere of your life without enormous effort.

One of these techniques is inspired by the Japanese “continuous improvement” theory called kaizen. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” That statement captures the core of kaizen philosophy. So, how do you take the first step on your journey to major changes?

Firstly, decide what change you would like to make in an area of your life. For instance, you may want to lose weight or learn a new skill. You could have already attempted to make a change, and it happened to be complicated. However, nobody said that change is easy. Sometimes, being willing to change isn’t enough to simplify this process.

Nevertheless, there is good news – you’re not alone. Most people experience similar problems. For instance, an average American will have the same New Year’s resolutions for a decade straight – and give up on them every time.

Robert Maurer claims to know how to make changes without too much effort. According to him, we can do it with the help of kaizen. Kaizen is helpful to anyone willing to make positive changes in their lives. That is why Dr. Maurer recommends this method to his clients – heavy smokers, heartbroken single guys and ladies, job hunters, and many others. How does it work, and why is it so powerful?

In fact, kaizen is a secret way to sidestep our biological impulses. Usually, our brains don’t take changes too well. This is because abrupt changes can activate our body's fight-or-flight response, which is regulated by the amygdala, a brain region. Our brains are opposed to changes regardless of whether they are huge, such as enrolling in a university, or small, like starting to exercise every morning. A brain perceives all these changes as a danger. However, when using kaizen, the changes don’t seem so frightening. Small, step-by-step changes can help you deceive the amygdala and prevent it from triggering.