EASY AND REALISTIC IMPROVEMENT 1 Percent Better Every Day As Benjamin Franklin said, "Little strokes fell great oaks." It's so easy to get lost in big dreams and aspirations. Sometimes goals can get so big that even taking one little step toward a dream feels impossible. What do you need to make tomorrow just 1 percent better? Not 100 percent, not even 10 percent, just 1 percent. The Japanese word kaizen means "improvement," and it forms the basis of a philosophy found in both Japanese and American businesses. Kaizen-focused companies aim to make small, incremental improvements one person at a time instead of grand and drastic company-wide changes. Kaizen's concept of simple, continuous improvement reminds us that a little positive change can go a long way. You can make tomorrow 1 percent better by changing just one little thing, like doing some quick stretches in the morning, treating yourself to a pick-me-up coffee in the afternoon, giving someone you love a hug, or reading one page of a book.

It's not a major feat; it's just one easy step that makes each day a little better than the last. You'll find prompting on each day of the work week to write in how you will make tomorrow 1 percent better than today. There is no way to go wrong when striving for 1 percent better. HOW PRACTICING GRATITUDE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER Gratitude is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as "the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness." The old adage "The grass is always greener" seems to be at its height in today's day and age. It's so easy to lose sight of our own reasons to be appreciative of what we have with social media projecting images of other people's seemingly perfect lives in our faces day in and day out. So how can we move from feeling down about our own lives to loving each of our days and living to our greatest potential? That's where gratitude comes in. Taking the time to list what we are grateful for helps to redirect our minds to the positive and special moments in our lives.

It's a reframing of your experience, a rewriting of your story that gives you the freedom to be as happy as you decide. When our appreciation for what we have in the here and now grows, so do our peace, joy, and positivity. You will find a prompt to list what you are grateful for on each daily page of this planner. Whether you list your dog, a treat you had, a difficult experience that inspired courage, or simply a roof over your head, there is no wrong answer. "Strive for continuous improvement,instead of perfection." --KIM COLLINS.