How to reach the summit of life success

0 Comments | USA TODAY, January, 2005 | by Deirdre Donahue

Once psychologist Robert Maurer decided to lose weight, he didn't eschew all carbs or max out his credit card by purchasing the exhortations of a pricey personal trainer.

Instead, he decided to throw out the first french fry on his plate. Eventually, it became two, then three french fries, or a tiny bit of whatever other food he was eating.

In this way, Maurer lost 45 pounds in 18 months and became a living example of the premise of his book, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way (Workman, $16.95).

Taking minute steps to achieve a seemingly impossible goal is the cornerstone of kaizen (pronounced "kay-zin"). Created more than half a century ago, this Japanese concept of "continuous improvement" yielding quality control is still used extensively...