This time, Inamori* spoke about the above motto in Kyocera philosophy.
What Inamori said is quoted with “”.
“Even if an ordinary woman in charge of the cleaning is not particularly brilliant, if she makes small improvements day after day — today better than yesterday, tomorrow better than today — then after five years, the difference will be enormous.
This does not apply only to a cleaning lady. It is the same for engineers, salespeople, accountants — everyone.
We must not repeat the same work in the same way for 365 days.
As a company policy, we must decide that we will always engage in creative work.
The difference between today and tomorrow is very small.
However, after 365 days, the change becomes unimaginably large.
Great inventions are like that.
From here to here, it may seem as though nothing has changed.
But after 365 days — one full year — the change becomes tremendous.
After three or four years, it leads to remarkable technological development.”
(Quoted from the Inamori Digital Library)
Our company is currently restructuring the composition of our business day by day. While we are occupied with daily core operations, we are simultaneously designing a long-term vision.
At such times, this message gives us a powerful hint:
1 Make improvements, even if they are small,
2 Continue those improvements without interruption,
3 Turn a sense of urgency into a driver for progress.
I will now explain each point in greater depth.
１ Make improvements, even if they are small
Inamori’s Words
“If, day after day — for 365 days — you make improvements, thinking,
‘Today better than yesterday, tomorrow better than today, the day after tomorrow better than tomorrow,’
then the difference created by a single day’s ingenuity may seem insignificant.
It is neither scholarship nor advanced technology.
And yet, when this way of thinking is sustained for 365 days, the change becomes astonishing.”
My Reflection
My failure was that once I found an excellent system, I became satisfied and stopped improving it. Instead of asking myself, “How can I reduce the risk even further?”, I should have continued refining and improving it every single day.
When we draw a grand vision, we often feel our own powerlessness.
We feel overwhelmed.
We become afraid of failure.
And we stop acting.
However, even the smallest action we take today can be slightly better than yesterday.
I will first take one small step forward. And I will record that step.
I intend to cultivate this habit — advancing little by little, and documenting the progress.
２ Continue those improvements without interruption
Inamori’s Words
“If you constantly continue making improvements —
today better than yesterday, tomorrow better than today,
and the day after tomorrow better than tomorrow —
without interruption,then the progress becomes limitless.”
My Reflection
After experiencing a major failure, I began waking up early each morning. I now spend time organizing the messages that appear in my dreams through dialogue with AI.
I have continued this practice day after day.
By turning it into a habit and extracting hints from those reflections, I begin to see moments of clarity —
“Yes, this is it.”
In that moment, a new improvement becomes visible.
Improvement does not always come from dramatic effort.
Sometimes it emerges quietly,
through steady reflection and disciplined continuity.
３ Turn a sense of urgency into a driver for progress
Inamori’s Words
“People say, ‘He succeeded because he was smart.’
‘He graduated from the University of Tokyo, that’s why.’
‘He just happened to have specialized technical skills.’
None of that is necessary.
What truly matters is whether you refuse to be satisfied with the present situation,
and whether you continuously accumulate ingenuity and improvement without interruption.
In the end, everything depends on whether you have cultivated that habit.”
My Reflection
In risk management, I constantly ask myself:
“If we approach it this way, would it work better?”
“Is there another way of thinking about this?”
Even while driving, I record ideas into my smartphone using voice typing.
I intend to continue building this habit.
I never want to repeat such a failure again.
And I do not want anyone connected with me to experience such a failure either.
It is this feeling — this sense of responsibility — that disciplines my actions.
Conclusion
To embark on a new business or enter a new field, we must carry a healthy sense of urgency about the present situation. And we must continue, day after day,to practice ingenuity, refinement, and improvement —steadily and without interruption. I believe this is what generates new vitality.
* Mr. Kazuo Inamori, the founder of Kyocera, KDDI (one of the top tele communication companies in Japan) and the top of revitalization project of JAL. As a well-known Japanese entrepreneur, he has been sharing his experiences and management know-how with managements of small to middle companies in Japan.
Further queries or doubts, please email to ytomizuka@abrilsjp.com
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