My Kaizen Journal

My Kaizen Journal
the manual (version 3)
(Note: Dear Friends, this manual is NOT complete yet! Just like my life, it is a work in progress. Start here and check back periodically for newer versions!)
kaizen (kazn) a philosophy of continuous improvement o f working practices that underlies total quality management and just-in-time business techniques.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.

-Lao Tzu
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Dedicated to
This book is dedicated to my parents, my wife, and my boys. They all play a tremendous part in my search to be a better version of myself. To my parents who taught me anything is possible. To my wife, who supports me unconditionally. To Evan, Mark, and Kai Zen Tran, for allowing me to know God through your eyes.
Note to Reader:
These written words are my expressed opinions, ideas, and beliefs. It is intended to provide helpful information to be used as a roadmap and should not be construed as any legal, financial, medical, spiritual, or any other professional advice or services. These opinions are based on my own research and understanding. This journal is an equal opportunity guide. It is meant to be able to use for anyone, men or women, young or old, every nationality, every religion, and everyone in between. No warranty is made to the accuracy or completeness of the information or referenced contained herein, and I specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any content in this journal and guide. My use of God can be replaced with the name of your God if you prefer. It is your world. It is not my intention to change it but hope that you seek the truth. Please read with an open mind, open heart, and open spirit. Journey on!
Acknowledgment
The following information within these pages are not from me. All of these ideas have been around since the beginning of time. I didn't make it up. I'm just reminding you what you already know. Many of these ideas are very complex if you decide to make it complex. They can also be as simple as you want them to be. Be willing to seek the Truth for yourself. I've read hundreds of books on these subjects and I've highlighted ideas that I find interesting from authors including Eckhart Tolle, Paulo Coelho, Michael Gelb, Robin Sharma, Bryan Johnson, Dan Millman, Jack Canfield, T. Harv Eker, Brandon Burchard, and many more authors that are I've had the pleasure to explore life with through reading their gifts offered to the world. My mentors have been a source of encouragement and inspiration for me to live a bigger life. Their acceptance and mentorship has allowed me to see how God resides in all aspects of my life. Every business, every employee, and every partner has taught me humility and the joy of life no matter the current results. Lastly, my wife, who supported me through all the craziness of starting businesses, becoming a vegan, being a triathlete, and many other adventures I've had the pleasure to partake in. Her support has been the foundation that I experimented these journaling methods upon. Thank you for your positive energy on my journey! Another disclaimer: While you are reading this, know that Im writing this during a time in my current life where the worlds definition of success has still eluded me. My balance sheet is nothing to brag about. I owe tremendous amount of money (roughly $500,000) to investors, friends, family, banks, and other institution. I may not be a success in the worlds standards, but Im following my dreams. The dream of presenting my best to my family, my businesses, my friends, my community, and to you. I point this out because I want you to be aware that Im still on my journey and will continue to be on my journey for the rest of my life. I want you to know that you can start on your journey where you are. You don't have to be perfect to start to spend time working on yourself. This guided journal is about starting where you are at in the pursuit of the perfect YOU.
Table of Content Preface: The Stranger Chapter 1 : Divine Appointment Chapter 2: The Journey Chapter 3: Your Kaizen Journey Chapter 4: Nuts and Bolt of Journaling Chapter 5: Section Explanation General Q&A Michael's Favorite Books & Documentary About Michael Cong Tran
Preface: The Stranger
Some people say they haven't yet found themselves. But the self is not something one finds; it is something one creates. -Thomas Szasz
There once was a young man who inherited 100 acres of dry, hard, and uninhabitable land in tundra Alaska. The land was a gift from his great grandfather. This parched land had been passed down from generations to generation. The land yielded just enough food and resources to feed the family that live there. The work is hard, with long hours just to make ends meet. After many years of this type of existence, a stranger came along and said he had the same issue with his piece of land. The stranger told a similar story as the young man's. The hard soil that the stranger thought was a curse had turned out to be a source of unlimited joys and resources for his family. The stranger continued to tell of how his resources never diminished, but actually increased. The land not only gave the stranger precious oil, gold, silver, and diamonds, it gave the stranger strength, wisdom, and courage to live a life free from fear. The young man, of course, thought this stranger was out of his mind! Yes, the stranger seemed very happy and extremely content with his life. The stranger had all the material wealth, but he also had something else. His aura, his prescense was much different than all the people around him in the cold tundra of wild Alaska. This stranger seemed comfortable with himself. He seemed unaffected by the many storms of Alaska. "Maybe there's some truth to it?" the young man thought. I am that stranger. This journal will help you dig deep inside of yourself. You want to find the answer to, how do I become happier? The journey you are about to take is one that will consist of daily RECOMMITMENT. It will require you to be intentional about the 3 areas of your life that will achieve your peace and happiness that you need. Those 3 areas are your health, wealth, and relationships. No matter who you ask, wherever they may be, or whatever age they are, those are the 3 things that everyone seeks. Few have found this holy grail that we call pure happiness. You are now a part of those few. Let's begin our journey!
Chapter 1 : Divine Appointment

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Marianne Williamson (from a Return to Love)
Congratulations! You have decided to embark on a journey. The only journey that is important. A personal journey into yourself. This journey is not difficult but it is not easy either. It will take intention, dedication, and honesty. It will take a daily recommitment. This journey will take time. There are no accidents in life. You are reading this book at this very time in your life because you desire MORE FROM LIFE. You know deep in your heart that you are capable of more, that you want to live life to the fullest. Subconsciously, you know there is MORE for you. This is a divine appointment made by the Creator to draw you closer. Your only response is YES or NO. It is that simple. You are reading this because this is a what you need right now. Abraham Maslow said "what one can be, one must be". You must start your journey; You must decide your journey begins today. You seek to be healthier, wealthier, and have deeper relationships in your life. Yes, you've heard these claims before. But this yearning is different. It is coming from inside of you. This guided journal does nothing more than guide you to discover your infinite potential that lies dormant in your soul right now. It is through the daily interactions of this journal that will enable you to know yourself more. When you know yourself, the world changes so that your higher self can be expressed. This journal is about discovering the real you. YOU are that important to have a book written about you.
How it works!
Here's an overview of how this guided journal system works as you daily recommit to your dreams.
1. Self Image
At the basic level, most of our choices made by us are really made by our subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind makes our choice because it is responding to our self image. There is a physical self image and an identity self image. Physically, if you look like a chiseled Greek god, then more than likely, you'll feel like one AND ACT like one as well! A positive self image is at the core of this system. When you eat healthy, you act healthy, you do healthy activities, and you BECOME healthy in body and in mind. NEWSFLASH: there are NO FAT genes! God (the universe) did not intend for us to be OVERWEIGHT! We all control what we put in our mouth. Whatever you put in, your body will use it to create your body and the events in your life. If you put junk and chemicals in, then that's the result you will get. If you put
fresh, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables in, you will create a fresh and energized and healthy life! It is a very simple concept and it is at the core of this Kaizen journey. A healthy body IS the beginning of a healthy life.
(Meet my family! Mark, Evan, Kathy, and Kai Zen Tran!)
2. Subconscious Software Change

If you want the computer to do new and different things, you must put a new and different software program into it. When you have the same software running, you will get the same results. One of my favorite quote is that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results!" by Albert Einstein. So in order to get different results, you must do different things. When you read your Inspirations and Rewire Chapter every day, you change. You will change from negative thoughts to positive THOUGHTS. When your thoughts are positive, you are able to do positive ACTIONS. When you change, your results will also change. Maybe not immediately, but you will get change. That change will be reflected in your journal, in the physical world, and in your perspective on life as well. When you take out your "bad" habits, and put in your "good" habits, you WILL get BETTER results. When you review your daily disciplines, you'll see your results and you'll see where you are heading and understand why you do what you do.
3. AIM, FIRE!!
Setting up goals and then walking towards them is one of the fundamentals of human desires. We are achievers always looking for a challenge. Its in those challenges that make life so grand! You are designed to set goals, go towards them, and then set new goals. The goals we have may be all different but we all want the same thing. Most of us do not know what they are because most were not taught to set goals to be healthy, wealthy, and to create meaningful relationships. You either set your goals intentionally or let the world set your goals by default. That is one of the reasons why filling out your goals and recommitting EVERYDAY towards those goals are so important. Once you write it down, your subconscious mind starts
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the process. You will see the opportunities and events that will enable you to achieve your goals. You must then take ACTION towards it! If you want to lose 10 pounds in 4 months, then you know what you need to do: Eat healthy foods, exercise, and learn about proper nutrition. It's not difficult because you know what to do already. What you may not know, is the recommitment that must take place every day to walk towards that goal. Daily recommitment is the key to KAIZEN Journey!
4. GPS: WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

A global positioning system (GPS) is defined as a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It is freely accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver. You have a GPS receiver from GOD. A GPS does 2 things. It finds out where you are at right now. And it waits for YOU TO TELL IT where you want to go. After that, it tells you how to get there. You dont need to know all the way, you just need to turn when it tells you and do exactly as it tells you. As you set your goals, you are doing the 2nd thing already. You now have to figure out where you are at right now. Where are you in your quest for health, wealth, and relationships? If you were to die tomorrow, what regrets would you have? Are you following your dreams? What is your dream? Did you live a life worth living? Did you spend the time you had wisely? There are more great questions to explore. They are great journaling questions for yourself. You cannot go where you want to go unless you know where you are at. It may take you 2 months, 2 years, or 20 years. In order for Gods GPS to work, you must know where you are at. You must tell Gods GPS where you want to go. That is your only 2 task in life! You must learn to leave the HOW to Gods infinite wisdom to get you to your destination in a quick, enjoyable, and peaceful way.
5. Seeker of Truth John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Our journey is to seek out the truth. Of course there are many truths, but I believe that the real truth will bring you that pure bliss that you are seeking. I cant tell you this truth, no one can. I can only lead you to different paths that may lead to the truth. Truth finding is like a fantastic fun game of life. It is so exciting to know that the God of the universe is on YOUR side playing this game. God wants you to play a game with HIS truth with you. When you find the truth, you will also find God, happiness, love, forgiveness, joy, health, wealth, and relationships. The truth is already in YOU. Your only reason for existence is to seek that truth.
Chapter 2: The Journey

It takes effort to become aware of our own staggering and limitless abilities. It takes effort to become enthusiastic over cause or an occupation. it takes effort to continue when our result- as well as our friends- tell us to give up trying. it takes effort to learn to love ourselves above all others, especially when we are so consciously aware of our failures, doubts, and tragedies. It does NOT take effort to fail. -Jim Rohn
Pursuit of Health, Wealth, and Relationships

What do you want in life? This one simple question has billions of different answers. All those answers all boil down to one final answer: HAPPINESS. Our entire existence hinged on this answer. The motivation of this planet and all the creatures on this planet comes down to this one word. For humans, our happiness consists of 3 aspects of life. We all are in pursuit of health, wealth, and relationships. The pursuit of happiness can be achieved by one decision. That decision is to be happy during the pusuit. Health: Mind, Body, and Spirit Your health consists of a healthy body, healthy mind, and a healthy spirit. You need those 3 to be a fully healthy human being. Healthy body enables you to go through life's adventures with the natural flow of energy that humans are designed for. A healthy body ensures a healthy mind. The truth is, we are a spiritual being with a FINITE body. We have unlimited potential and unlimited super power but with ONE BODY. If we want to fully express ourselves in the way that we are designed, our body must be up to that challenge. Your body is the foundation that allows you to experience life the way God intends you to experience. What can a healthy mind, body, and spirit create? Leonardo Da Vinci is a prime example of how body, mind, and spirit is merged into the fully integrated being. He was a philosopher, artist, inventor, athlete, leader, scientist, engineer, and the list goes on! I have never understood this total integration until I became a vegan to get my cholesterol down from 300 to 150 within 6 months! I have tasted what it truly feels like to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit. Within one year, I went from a 150 lbs to a lean 110 lbs (I'm 5'2" with shoes!). With my current health, I'm able to read 10-15 books a month, run a marathon anytime, and feel the presence of God in every day moments.
Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. Ralph Waldo Emerson
My before picture (overweight, 300+cholesterol)
My after picture (muscle machine, 150 cholesterol)
Wealth: Knowledge Wealth is a very personal term. When you hear the word wealth, you will have some automatic reaction to it. For some, it is a positive term. For others, it is a term that causes great anxiety and fear. True wealth is knowledge that adds value to this world and the ability to apply that knowledge. Your bank account is NOT your wealth. It is just what you acquired at this point of time. True wealth has no fear of loss. True wealth is the rights of all humans. True wealth is something that we all have, the ability to create from an idea. Ideas come from your dreams and ideas are your true destiny to bring forth into this world. True wealth is the inheritance that you have from a loving God. WE ALL have that inheritance! A hundred years ago, the internet, cell phones, and Google didn't even exist. Just with those 3 ideas, trillions of dollars and millions of people's lives are transformed through these wealth ideas! The ability to create these ideas are in your soul. You have that potential. There are no limits to your ideas! Those ideas are all part of the universal intelligence. It is Apple's market value hits $623.5 billion your right and duty to bring forth those ideas Apple's surging share price makes it nominally the most valuable company of all and share it with the world! time, surpassing rival tech firm Microsoft's $616.3-billion valuation in the late
1990s.
Imagine that you have $450,000 in your bank account. If someone held a gun to your head and tells you to give them all your money or you'll die. You would give up that money right? If you worked 50 years for it, then you'd be devastated! But if you know how to create that much money with an idea, you would smile and give it all to them. Society's wealth is based on the current trends of what is perceived to be valuable at that time. True wealth comes from your creativity, perseverance, and leadership.
August 21, 2012|By Andrea Chang and Salvador Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times
Have you heard of a company called Apple? What is an Apple product? Most of us have at least one of their products in our house. Most have more like 5-8 of their items that we use daily! What is the true wealth of Apple? Their true wealth was created by Steve Jobs and his team of visionaries. Apple's true wealth is in the idea of simplicity, elegance, and function. When you hold an Apple product, those wealth ideas are passed on to you without saying a word. You feel their ideas. It looks GREAT, FEELS GREAT, and WORKS like it should! We all know those simple ideas, but Steve Jobs brought it out into the world and created TRILLIONS of financial gains for the world. Was it difficult for him to bring his vision into the world? I believe it was. He
persevere and he continued with his vision with determination and the quest for perfection. I believe any of us has that potential. There is an unlimited source of ideas, wealth, and potential in ALL OF US! Relationships: God, Family, and Friend Relationships, like health and wealth, are intentional processes that you must put in your life to ensure true happiness. True happiness does not lie in the person that you are in a "relationship" with. True happiness is accepting yourself and the other person as they are. You choose to love and forgive yourself and others in all situations. A great relationship doesnt just happen by luck or chance. Like the other two things (health and wealth), they require vision, perseverance, and daily improvements to foster these relationships. True relationships reflect your true self and that is one of the ways that your true self is manifested into this world.
Chapter 3: Your Kaizen Training

Success and failure are results of the use of mind. Every success-motivated mind has been a decisive mind. Every failure-motivated mind has been an indecisive mind. Only the dreamer who acted with decision on his dream brought forth something new and valuable.
~ Raymond Charles Barker from The Power of Decision
The word kaizen means "continuous improvement". It comes from the Japanese words ("kai") which means "change" or "to correct" and ("zen") which means "good". Even though Kaizen is mainly a business concept (championed by most of the Japanese company such as Sony, Toyota, and others), I believe that our lives is a continuous process that we either step toward our happiness or away from it. You are either growing or you are dying. Kaizen is really about daily training to become better today than yesterday. I love the word so much that I name my 3rd son Kai Zen Tran!
Triathlon Training and Kaizen

I am a triathlete. I've just started training for an Ironman Triathlon (2.4 miles swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run). Pros can get it done in 9 hours. Amateurs like myself can train to do it in 10-17 hours depending on the dedication of training. For the most part, people think it's crazy what we do, but when in training, we train one day at a time with specific goals and specific reasoning for that training session. Yes, the thought of swimming in open water for 2.4 miles, then biking for 112 miles, and then running a full marathon does seem daunting but when in training, we train one hour at a time. After months or even years of training, your body can do 12 or more hours of strenuous exercise without crashing. That is kaizen. I love triathlon training because it resembles life. It is about continuously training for the 3 events (swim, bike, run). All 3 use different muscles, different tools, and different strategies. Put them together and a miracle of the human body, mind, and soul is created. The correlation of swimming, biking, and running is like the 3 aspects of life we are after in life. The quest for health, wealth, and relationships. These 3 aspects are so different but it's something that we all want and desire to finish and create a masterpiece that is life. They use different parts of the brain, the soul, and the physical aspect of your life. When a triathlete trains, he/she doesn't train for 12-15 hours. They train one hour, one session, one day at a time. We improve over time. They allow their body, mind, and spirit to grow into the challenge that they have set before them. It requires daily improvement, daily recommitment, and focus on the goal. That is Kaizen. Whether you are training on the job, learning how to play the piano, or improving your golf score, continuous training is required to master each goal. We were born not knowing how to utilize our body and mind in a masterful way. We learned that process through trying one thing at a time. Kaizen philosophy tells you to continually learn, do, FAIL, and improve on yesterday's performance. It is the daily RECOMMITMENT every day which allows you to achieve spectacular results in the long run. These are the 4 major steps that you will be going through in your journey. Step 1: Intention (Decision) Going through this journal will allow your true self to speak and be manifested into the world. You are being intentional about the 3 aspect of your life that you and every human desire. It is through the daily interactions
with the journal that your visions, dreams, and your true self will crystallize. You must stop drifting in life. If you are not intentional in these 3 aspects, you are allowing others to dictate your health, wealth, and relationships. You are drifting along life's heavy currents. This journal is the key to unlocking your true self from a prison setup by your agreements with the world you are in. This journal allows you to get out of the current and observe and reflect on if this is the right current for you. The answer is as simple as saying yes and no. In fact, that may be one of the of the hardest thing to do. Learning how to say yes to the right things for yourself and no to wrong things for yourself. The question is, is it wrong or right for you at this time? Kaizen journal is training you to learn to say yes and no. Step 2: Daily Commitment Once you are intentional, you must decide daily activities that will allow you to step towards your decision. Without these small daily activities, your commitment is not a commitment but a wish. Once you take these small steps, you'll find that your commitment and goals are not only achievable but also very exciting and fun Step 3: Daily Recommitment At the core of Kaizen journey is daily Recommitment. Humans are creatures of habit. If we do something every day, it becomes normal for us. We are what we do, we are what we eat! And we are what we think about ourselves. This is a fundamental shift in your consciousness, this awareness of what you think, do, react, and feel. This awareness will enable your true self to emerge. Step 4: Review & Change Everything changes all the time. You change with every breath you take. The world also change as you take a breath towards peace or towards chaos. Review of your daily recommitment allows you to see your progress, look at your goals, and adjust it as you change. Sometimes the world changes right before your eyes and now your priorities and goals also changes. Your true self does not change if the world changes, only your goals and weekly focus. Change is a fact of life so we too have to change for the better every day. Reviewing that process will center your disciples towards a goal that is worthy of your true self.
4 Stages of Kaizen Journaling (about 4 months)

As you go through the Kaizen Journal, you will go through some changes and some resistance to those changes. It is normal and a part of the process. Here are the stages that you will go through in your first 4 months of the Kaizen Journal Way. Stage 1: Trial, errors, and observations (Month 1) Make a lot of changes in schedules, habits, thinking, and old patterns Observe how you are feeling Observe your reaction and question it Write down your feelings and why you feel the way you feel Explore situation and "problems" that you have with yourself, others, and life explore what you do with your 24 hours
Stage 2: Total Immersion (Month 2) Account for your 24/7. Write down what you do Fill it with positive actions, reading, and other positive activities Fill it with uplifting friends and uplifting events Observe your sleep pattern and immerse your subconscious mind while you sleep enjoy good food that's good for the body engage with others about life philosophy and Kaizen Society members for one on one or group session continue to work on gratitude practice all day yoga, swimming, meditation, running, hiking, jogging, tennis, golf, whatever YOU enjoy doing! list things that make you feel good and DO IT!
Stage 3: Clarity (Month 3) Truthful about yourself to yourself know and accept yourself trying to be better discover your bliss discover your support system put structure in your life to have positive behavior Vision of who you are being formed
"Be not afraid of going slowly but only afraid of standing still" -Chinese Proverb
Stage 4: Revision (month 4) Recreate and revise your visions and goals Make new goals, plans, and rewrite Alter your schedule and all events to schedule your next creation day appointment
Chapter 4: Nuts and Bolts of Journaling

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Tools of Journaling
1. The Journal! (of course) 2. 10-30 minutes a day! Try to set it at the same time/place. Experiment with what makes you comfortable. The key is feeling good and feeling relaxed. Remove TV, phone, loud music, and other things that may take away your presence. 3. Comfortable Pens or pencil ( my favorite pens http://www.amazon.com/TUL-Retractable-Pens-PointAssorted/dp/B007V3MXVS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1355270781&sr=8-4&keywords=tul+pens) 4. Bookmark 5. Tabs 6. magazine to cut pictures or print out from pc 7. Scissors and glue or tape is fine too
My Kaizen Journal is...

1. It is a SAFE HOUSE for you. Your journal assist you in weathering storms and allow you to celebrate the magnificent life that you have. It is a place you can go to anytime and anywhere. Take it with you wherever your life takes you. Interact with it as it is your best friend! 2. It is a RECHARGE Station. As your life progress, this journal will act as a recharge station where you can go and get recharged, get inspired, and get realigned with your true self. 3. It is a GPS and Map for your life. You will get off course throughout the day, weeks, months. This will enable you to map out and get you back on course. EVERYONE gets off course, it is life. The key is getting back on course as soon as possible. 4. It is a DAILY TRAINING Manual. EVERYTHING comes down to training and retraining. We are not born with any technical, emotional, and any other skills. Everything comes down to the daily training we choose to make. Training is the key to any successful act. By failing, trying, failing, and trying again that enable lasting success. 5. It is a RESET Button. You can reset monthly, weekly, daily, hourly, or every second. the choice is up to you. Most people reset once a year (hence new year resolution...it doesn't work!). This journal will help you reset and recommit to your higher self 6. It is a MVP Celebration Station. This journal is about you! You are the MVP of your life. TREAT yourself like a movie star in a very grand movie! That movie is your life! Practice getting to know yourself and treating yourself like the kings and queens that you are. Don't short change yourself. Learn to SAVE THE BEST for yourself! The best time, the best thoughts, the best resources, the best forgiveness, and the best love for yourself!
My Kaizen Journal Foundations

1. Daily Interactions: It is highly recommended that you interact with your journal every day. Have 1530 minutes set aside every morning and start a ritual you can look forward to. If for some reason, you are unable to interact with your journal for the recommended 15 minutes, spend 30 seconds to go over the daily disciplines to remind you of what is important to your true self. You can also look at one inspirational quote and that act will enable you to refocus on your world. Your daily interaction is the key to your kaizen success. 2. In Your Own Handwriting. There's something about using your own handwriting that is very powerful for your mind, body, and spirit to connect. When you write, you are creating powerful vibration throughout the universe and putting it down as a concrete ideas and visions. That act is why we are "made in the image of God". God gave us a gift to be able to create poetry, music, ideas, businesses, inventions, and all the wonderful things in this world. When you write, you create as God created! Research has shown that handwriting involves so many parts of the brain vs. typing. There's a spiritual aspect of hand writing as well. When I write, I notice my mind stops wandering and it focus on my spiritual wellness as well as physical wellness. The act alone allows me to be in meditation and slow my mind, heart rate, and sharpen my cognitive skills. 3. 4 Month Recreation to a New Journal (repetition). This may be the hardest part of the system. Every 3-4 months, you copy everything over to a new journal! This is where it takes total commitment. There are multiple reasons for this. We learn by repetition, as you rewrite, you will intentionally relearn those lessons, quotes, and goals again. Another reason is that in 4 months, your physical, emotional, and mental awareness will change. Updating your journal to reflect your new self is a natural progression of the journey. There are two sections that you do not need to recopy, the journal and daily disciplines sections. With everything else, you either copy word for word, or you can alter, delete, or add new things into each section. It is one of those exercise that gives you so much satisfaction and allows you to see your progress over time. 4. Daily and Weekly Review. This is recommended so you can see what's eating up your time and energy. When you take time to review, you'll also see a pattern of your feelings as different stressors in your life appears. Recognizing your patterns will assist you in putting structures to adjust your habits. 5. Intention and preparations. Start with a morning ritual. Do something that you love doing or know that it will be good for you. It could be a small event such as brewing hot tea while preparing for your morning run. It could be light stretching for 2 minutes, read for 10 minutes, or breathing in and out 5 times while looking out the window. It could be repeating a mantra such as "I LOVE MY LIFE!" or "Today's going to be the best day EVER!". Feel your feelings and get a routine going. Then dive into your journal! I run to my journal for the inspirational quotes, bible verses, and just a sense of peace that comes with opening my journal up. I make opening up my journal as part of my morning ritual!
Chapter 5: Explanation of each Sections

I AM
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. ~ Neale Donald Walsch Who are you? Have you thought of that? There are many labels out there. These labels could include a man, a woman, a father, a mother, a boss, or an employee. Unfortunately, these labels do not really describe you. It may be who you are at this moment but that is NOT your true identity. An example of this may be your label as a "loyal employee" to the company you are currently working for. What if that company let you go? Is your identity lost as well as your job? Your true identity cannot be taken away by anyone or any event. This description will serve as your lighthouse when the storm of life is upon you. It may be the hardest to figure out right now. Take your time. Think about who your true self really is. The reason why it's difficult is because you are trying
to find the right words to describe a one of a kind being. Words are social agreements that represent something that has existed before. When you see a chair, it is a square piece of wood with 4 legs and a back. You call it a chair because everyone around you calls it a chair. You on the other hand, have never existed before and never will exist again. Putting your true description into words is almost an impossible task because how do you describe something that's never existed before? Its not going to be 100% perfect. Try to strip away all the labels and write down your essence. What you declare here will set the tone of how you carry yourself. It is discovering your true genius and beauty.
My Story
Who will you have to become to achieve all you want? ~ Tony Robbins
Your story is a very powerful. It creates your current and future identity. It is the basis for your self esteem and self image. What you create on paper will convince your subconscious to manifest events and bring awareness to your desired story. You must create your identity; dont wait for others to create it for you! Dont create your story from your past experiences, but create it from your best version of yourself right now and what you want to be in the future. Create it from your most evolved self. You can be and do whatever you want to if you create it in your story. Is your life great and you are working to make it even better? Or, is your life filled with problems and drama? Do you tell a story of all the problems you have, and all the terrible things you see in this world? Try to listen to yourself when you talk to a friend. Do you say "I can't because I'm a single mother" or "I'm not married, I'm too old, I'm not good enough, or I don't know how"? Believe it or not, when you tell that type of story, you will get more of those things which you do not want. You are literally a MAGNET towards your own story! In order to get a new life, a BETTER LIFE, you have to tell a BETTER STORY. A story that supports who you are and who you want to become. You must be willing to tell a story that doesn't have to have all the answers. You just need to vocalize your blessings and what you want to see happen. Dont worry about HOW it will be accomplished. I am pretty sure not too many people know the future and that includes you! You DON'T have to figure out how right now. You can act as if it were true RIGHT NOW!
My Gratitude List
Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance. Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
List all of things in life you are grateful for. The list is as simple as 1-2-3. This might be one of the easiest things, if you find it difficult, then that might be your problem! You can list little events such as the warm sun hitting your body in the cool winter morning, or can list big things such as your health, your family, your country, your church, and many other things that are such a blessing in your life. Gratitude is a habit. When you intentionally write down what you are grateful for, you will attract that very thing into your life! It is one of the most profound habit that you can form. Gratitude is the key to a happy life! It is so much fun to list the little things about your job, your business, your money, and everything that you have no matter how much or how little. You can't have more until you are grateful with what you have. That's the law of attraction. That's the law of God.
My Daily Disciplines
...true freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline. Mortimer Jerome Adler
Daily disciplines consist of activities that you want to do on a daily basis to form healthy habits. When you think positive thoughts and you do positive actions, your world will change into a positive force. I consider this section THE MOST important on your journey. You can use the My In and Out Section to put those habits that you want in your life into this matrix. The purpose of this section is for you to feel good when you are successful in doing these daily habits each day. After you do it, you simply put a checkmark or an X. Be totally honest with yourself. This section reminds you of what is important. It is NOT a TO DO LIST. It is a TO BE LIST. There are many goals that are as easy such as waking up or eating breakfast. You can set yourself up for success by setting up goals that are as simple as taking 5 deep breaths every morning. The task could be challenging like hugging others (when you don't like to hug). This section is the core of Kaizen Journal. It is the daily interaction with this matrix that will allow you to see how you are doing. It will allow you to recommit DAILY towards the best version of yourself. YOU are not PERFECT but you can continue to try to be YOUR PERFECT SELF every day. Dont worry if you miss a day or two. Remember, you are not perfect! The key is to start over the next day or do that task immediately so you can check it off! Ive been known to just run out of my office and give my wife a hug and run back to my office, just to get the task of hugging my wife taken care of! Its fun and very rewarding for everyone! There have been days and weeks that I didn't do anything on my list and I could feel it. I became more stressed and just did not feel right. These DAILY RECOMMITMENTS are like eating your vegetables. This daily higher self to do list helps you from being mentally and emotionally constipated. It is also very fun to
put an X stating you've done it! You get in the habit of celebrating the little successes so you can really celebrate the bigger successes.
My Rewiring & Inspirations

"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom." -George Patton
The reason why I called this section rewiring and inspiration is because we live in an ocean of negativity. Unfortunately bad news sells. The world is overrun by fear. Fear is created by not knowing the future. A future that does not exist except in the mind of that fearful person. In a way, all fear is an illusion. It's not real. Your negative mind wants to know the future but it is an impossible task, therefore, it creates fear. Your negative thinking is a culmination of your environment, your beliefs, and your past experiences replayed by your ego to make sure you don't change. The ego hates change because change is unknown. That is why it's hard to go on a "diet" or "be positive". Your ego would prefer to do the same thing over and over again even if it is destroying your life! Your brain is a super computer that needs a new software program, a program of hope and faith in the mist of uncertainty and negativity. A NEW POSITIVE THOUGHT PROGRAM. The REWIRE AND INSPIRATION process is pretty easy. Pick out as many inspirational quote, stories, bible verses, or poems that inspire you to be your best. From one Google search, you can have thousands of quotes that direct you back to your true self. Another source is the bible. Most Christians have a life verse. When you write it down, you will have a place to run to when the stress of daily life causes you to lose your way of your true identity. The INSPIRATION and REWIRING section will turn your "FROWN, UPSIDE DOWN!". It will remind you of your unlimited powers and unlimited capacity for joy because you possess life, a life that is not dependent on certain events to happen to be happy. It reminds you of your true self. Remember to use your best handwriting because when you read your own handwriting, you feel what you see. If it's messy and cluttered, you'll feel messy and cluttered. When your handwriting is slow, elegant, peaceful, and full of life, you'll feel that way as well.
Monthly Reading List

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
Reading is the fastest and most inexpensive way to discover the universe! When you read, your spirit soars with the authors. You gain infinite wisdom from emperors of the past. You are transported into different
worlds to meet new and exciting adventures. There is NOTHING in this world that allows you to do all that within a few minutes like picking up a book does! Reading is like nourishment and workout for your mind! I love reading because I believe it is the gateway to knowing the unlimited source of life. I also believe it allows us consciously connect to God. How many times have you heard of a good book recommended by a friend, pastor, or some source that you trust? If you are like me, I tend to forget if I don't write it down. This section allows you to be intentional about your reading habit! I have books lined up for months waiting for me to be read! Set a goal of how many books you want to read for the month. After you are done with that book, check it off and put the date when you finished that book. Move books to the next month if you are unable to it that month. It's a simple system but a very powerful way to ensure your mind is being fed!
My Health, My Wealth, My Relationship Goals

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it." ~ Michelangelo Humans are goals oriented beings. We are the only being on this planet that can set goals and change 180 degrees with one thought. With one idea, our future can drastically change for the better or for the worse! There are 3 things all people want to live a happy life. The quest for health, wealth, and relationships. So this section is about setting up goals in each of these departments. You know what you want to happen in those aspects of your life. There is no such thing as an impossible goal, just an impossible timeline. Don't worry about HOW you will achieve your goal. Remember, that HOW is looking into the future. Your goals will be accomplished as your subconscious mind seeks out the best method and brings awareness of those goals into your life. An example of short term goals for health would be to lose 10 lbs by June 30, 2013. This is the positive THOUGHT. Now you must do the POSITIVE ACTION such as writing in your journal to run for 15 minutes each day and cut out cheeseburgers. As you progress, you will also figure out that certain foods made you run better and certain foods made you EXTRA sleepy. You avoid the "bad" food and eat more of the "good" food! It's that simple to achieve any and ALL GOALS. It's like placing an order with the genie of the universe. No order is too big or too small. You get whatever you want! You must believe it and set daily actions towards it. Most people write down "realistic" goals. These goals do not require you to stretch and grow. DON'T! Dream big and SET BIG GOALS! Go as big as your comfort zone allows you to go and double that! Since we think in pictures, do a Google search of a picture that best corespond to your goals. Print it and place it in your journal. When you look at it, feel the feeling of owning or experiencing that goal. Again, DON'T worry about HOW that goal is accomplished. Just know that EVERY GOAL you have is possible. You just have to let go of HOW and WHEN it will be accomplished!
My Life's Adventure
"everyone dies, but not everyone lives!" -A. Sach or William Wallace, Braveheart
Life is truly amazing! Experiencing the little time that we have on this planet is one of the true joys of life. In The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman said that "there are no ordinary moments". This is absolutely true! There are no ordinary moments but you can have many EXTRAORDINARY moments if you are intentional about creating those moments! Writing down the experiences that you wish to experience is a great way to maximize your wonderful life! If you ever wanted to swim with sharks, snowboard on virgin terrains, or climb Mt. Everest, write it down with a specific time! This act allows God/The Universe to assist you in making it come true. This is a fun exercise but also works as a great visioning tool. Don't just write down the experience, journal on how you feel during or after you've done it! After you've accomplished those adventures, remember to journal about it and reflect on when you wrote it. It serves as a powerful way to convince your EGO that all is possible if you just write it down!
My In and Out Habits

Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. Mahatma Gandhi
We are creatures of habits. We form conscious and unconscious habits by the daily things we do. Some are very positive while other habits does not serve your highest self. Your goal in this section is be totally honest with yourself and write down the 4 habits that you want more of IN your life and 4 habits that you want OUT of your life. The key is REPLACING "BAD" habits with "GOOD" habits to allow your goals and true self to emerge. A very common example is REPLACING watching 4 hours of TV with watching only 2 hours and use the other 2 hours to read books or exercise. You already know the habits you want more of in your life and you know the habits you must take out of your life. This section will assist in breaking down your habits to be an intentional and conscious choice. You are what you do regularly. Your habits will become your destiny. Choose to have an exceptional destiny by the small daily habits you do!
My Creation Day Divine Appointment

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them Albert Einstein
A creation appointment is a day or weekend that you set aside to intentionally create your world. One of the toughest things to learn to do is to make AND KEEP this appointment for yourself to yourself. For some reason, you keep appointments with everyone except yourself! It's so easy to come up with many excuses on why this day is NOT THE MOST important date. I still find it difficult to set a high priority for this day over all the other non essential appointments and priorities in my life. Like any appointment or trip, you must be prepared for the act of creation. You must have your tools, your food, and your resources ready for you to best maximize the time you have with yourself. It's just you, your thoughts, your Kaizen Journal, a few books, nutritious foods, drinks, and comfortable clothes. You can check into a hotel, resort & spa, a friend's house with a nice view (make sure they are not there), or just go to the lake for the full day. The key is seclusion, comfortable, and be with nature if possible. The date is not important, only the mindset and the act of committing that time for yourself. It could be on your birthday, the beginning of the month/quarter/year, or just any random time. Have a list of things you want to accomplish on that day. Write it out a week before, so your subconscious mind can come up with whatever you need! Again, you are actively and intentionally planning your life! Set it on your calendar and book that day/weekend for yourself. I can't stress enough how you MUST BOOK the room or the location and set the DATE in stone. Make it the highest priority because it really is!
Journal
An intelligent mind is an inquiring mind, a mind that is watching, learning, studying. ~ Krishnamurti
Journaling helps your mind to focus on your feelings. Most of the time, we ignore our feelings and as a result, we form negative habits in our life. A journal can be your best friend, your coach, your counselor, or it could be the God's loving ears. When you analyze your feelings through written form, your soul connects to a higher power to allow you to attain the peace that is provided by God. When you notice how you feel, you can increase or decrease any habits that has caused you to feel that way. When you write it down, you bring awareness to your state of mind. When you have awareness, you can control the world with a simple "yes" or "no". Allow your true feelings to spill onto the pages and watch your true self manifest into this world through your words.
General Q&A
Question: What is this journal about? Answer: This journal is about you. It is a guided journal to assist you in creating your perfect life and helping you walk towards it. The journal will help you find your true self by peeling away what the world is telling you of your identity. It is the path to greater blessings. It is the journey inward to find true happiness that comes from your true self and not events that make up your life. Question: How much time would it take me to do this? Answer: Anywhere between 10-30 minutes a day is a great start. The more you put in, the more you get out! It is best done in the morning when you are fresh and awake. Question: What if I don't know what to do or what to write? Answer: In every section, there's are many samples in the full instructions. You can read it and formulate your own wording. Remember, words are not perfect. The journal is not perfect. It is only a step. Take it and you'll know what the next steps are. It takes 30 minutes one day and 30 minutes the next day. then continue as your heart tells you. www.mykaizenjournal.com/sample.pdf Question: It seems like alot of work. How will i find time to do it? it seems like i never have enough time. Answer: Yes, you are a very complex being. time is what your mind is focusing on. look past time and decide what you want with the 24hrs that you seem to have. Taking 10-30 minutes a day to really truly understand yourself is well worth the effort. Enjoy this moment. Enjoy the process. You have this journal by divine appointment and there's plenty of time for you to achieve everything! Question: What is I run out of space in my journal? Answer: Your journal should last you about 3-4 months if you write in it every day. You will then get another journal and start over. Move and/or change what you've written down in each section to the new journal. The only thing you don't move is the Daily Disciplines and the Journal section. Everything else, you can either keep the same information, modify, or change it completely. That's the beauty of this, it changes as you change. It will reflect a better vision of who you are when you put more time into it. It's like polishing a mirror, the more you do it, the clearer you'll see your true self. Question: What if I miss a few days or a few weeks? Answer: You start the next day or better yet, you start right now. It doesn't matter, as long as you start again. You can also see WHY you stopped. What events or what happened that you didn't honor your commitments? Find out the real reasons and put structures into your life so your behavior will be different when it happens next time. It will happen again if you don't put structures in place to stop it. The key is starting over. Pushing the RESET button.
Seeker of Truth!
These are recommended books and documentaries that I have found extremely helpful in my journey. There are hundreds of other books and resources, but you start with one book at a time. The key to your success for a happy life is the DAILY RECOMMITMENT to each of these aspects.
Sample of Michael Cong Tran's Journal (www.mykaizenjournal.com/mtsample.pdf) Health (Mind, Body, & Spirit) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Documentary DVD or on Netflix: Forks over Knives Documentary: Fat, sick and nearly Dead Born to Run by Christopher McDougall Finding Ultra by Rich Roll Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
Wealth: (bank account and Mind account) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Secret of millionaire mind by T. Harv Eker The science of getting rich by Wallace d. wattles Think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill One Minute Millionaire by Jack Canfield and Bob Allen 80/20 Principles By Richard Koch Rich Dad/Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
Relationships: (with yourself and with others) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The Purpose Driven life by Rick Warren Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The way of the Peaceful warrior by Dan Millman A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle Leadership and Self Deception by Arbinger Institute The anatomy of Peace by Arbinger Institute The compound Effect by Darren Hardy
A My Kaizen Journal ideal day

5:00 am 5:15 am 5:30 am 6:15 am 7:00 am 7:30 am Noon 5:00 pm 6:00 pm 7-9pm 9-11pm Wake up Light breakfast with fruits or green smoothie 15-30 Meditation & Journal Review 30-45 Minutes of yoga or workout Review your journal and write how you feel Work begins Lunch & take 10 minutes to review journal and make entries if desired Go home Workout if you didn't work out in morning. if you did, prepare dinner and READ 30-60 minutes You choose activity Read, journal, relax, draw, any new hobbies.
Daily Recommended Activities to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Meditation Yoga/stretching Cooking and learning about health benefits of fruits and veggietables exercise or at least push-ups and sit-up READ, READ, READ Create. Learn how to create. draw, scrapbooking, paint, garden, anything to CREATE learn handwriting skills. practice. practice. practice ANYTHING that you think you can't do (play musical instrument, garden, cooking, salsa dancing, singing)
Thank you for reading this manual. It is not perfect. There are many mistakes. Like you and me, it is a work in progress. While you may or may not agree with 100% of this manual, it is a great basis for your journey to seek out the truth. I encourage you to continue to seek your truth and take the DAILY RECOMMITMENT towards your highest self. God bless you on your journey. Journey on! Michael Cong Tran PS. I WOULD LOVE TO hear your story! How did you like the journal and what I could do to help you further along your journey? Please email me with any positive/negative/indifference views you may have. Please email me at Michael@mykaizenjournal.com

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My Kaizen Journal

the manual (version 3)

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.

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Preface: The Stranger

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Chapter 1 : Divine Appointment

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(Meet my family! Mark, Evan, Kathy, and Kai Zen Tran!)

2. Subconscious Software Change

4. GPS: WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

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Chapter 2: The Journey

Pursuit of Health, Wealth, and Relationships

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My before picture (overweight, 300+cholesterol)

My after picture (muscle machine, 150 cholesterol)

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Chapter 3: Your Kaizen Training

Triathlon Training and Kaizen

4 Stages of Kaizen Journaling (about 4 months)

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Chapter 4: Nuts and Bolts of Journaling