In Japan, the word for constant and never-ending improvement is kaizen.

Not only is this an operating philosophy for modern Japanese businesses, it is also the age-old philosophy of warriors, too, and it's become the personal mantra of millions of successful people.

Achievers, whether in business, sports, or the arts, are committed to continual improvement.

If you want to be more successful, you need to learn to ask yourself, "How can I make this better? How can I do it more efficiently? How can I do this more profitably? How can we do this with greater love?"

Why is KAIZEN considered the key to the MARGIN OF GREATNESS

In the sport of professional baseball most respectable players bat an average of .250, or 1 hit for every 4 times they come to bat.

If a .250 batter is also a good fielder, he can expect to do well in the majors.

But anyone who hits .300, or 3 hits for every 10 times he comes to bat, is considered a star. By the end of a season, out of the thousands of players in the leagues, only about a dozen players will have achieved a .300 average.

These hitters are honoured as the greatest players, receive the multimillion-dollar player contracts, and land the lucrative commercial endorsements.

But consider this: The difference between the truly great ones and the average players is only 1 hit out of 20!

A player who bats .250 gets 5 hits in every 20 times at bat, but a .300 hitter gets 6 hits out of those same 20 times at bat.

Isn't that amazing? In the world of professional baseball, the margin of greatness is only 1 more hit out of 20!

It takes only a little extra bit of performance to go from good to great.