How I Learned to Code (using Japanese Method )

I remember the first time I opened VS Code. The blank screen stared at me like an existential void. One blinking cursor, endless possibilities, and zero idea where to start. I wanted to build an app immediately, conquer Python, maybe even master JavaScript — and probably impress my future self in some alternate reality where I had a clue. Instead, I accidentally printed my grocery list. Twice.

This is where Kaizen stepped in. Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement. At first, I scoffed. “Tiny steps? I want giant leaps!” But life — and coding — doesn’t work that way. Kaizen whispered: small, consistent actions beat sporadic explosions of effort every time.

So I tried it. I started with micro-goals: one function a day, one bug fixed, one new concept understood. Sometimes, ten minutes were enough. Other days, I spent hours staring at errors that looked like hieroglyphics. But every tiny win was a victory. I celebrated the simplest successes: a loop that ran, a variable that printed correctly, or even just understanding what an error message really meant.

And that’s where Shoshin, the “beginner’s mind,” came in. Coding is humbling. Every new language, every library, every framework reminds you that you are always a beginner. Shoshin asks you to approach every problem with curiosity, free from ego. Instead of panicking at errors, I learned to ask: “What is this teaching me?” I laughed at my mistakes, cried a little, and sometimes yelled at my screen — but I always came back, curious, ready to learn.

Learning to code through Kaizen and Shoshin transformed my approach not just to programming, but to life itself. Coding became less about speed and more about mindfulness. Every bug was a meditation. Every error message, a lesson in patience. I learned to detach from perfection and embrace process. My progress wasn’t flashy; it was quiet, almost invisible — but it was unstoppable.

This approach spilled into other areas of my life. I started applying micro-improvements everywhere: making my bed perfectly once a day, practicing a tiny new habit, writing a single paragraph of a story. Small wins accumulate faster than we realize. By the end of the month, tiny steps that seemed insignificant created meaningful change. Kaizen doesn’t just work for coding — it works for life.

There’s also Ikigai — the Japanese concept of purpose. At first, coding felt random, stressful, confusing. But by focusing on what I enjoyed, what I was good at, and how it could help others, I found motivation. Learning wasn’t a chore; it became a journey toward my own sense of purpose. Every small improvement, every resolved bug, every new insight was a step toward something bigger than a functional script — it was a step toward myself.

And humor helped, too. I laughed when I spent an hour debugging a single line. I laughed when my first script actually ran. I laughed when I realized that coding wasn’t about instant mastery, but about surviving tiny, repeated failures and celebrating micro-successes. Life and coding are messy, imperfect, hilarious. Accepting that made the process joyful.

Now, I don’t just code. I Kaizen my learning. I practice Shoshin in life. I chase Ikigai through curiosity. I’ve learned to embrace small wins, to laugh at mistakes, and to approach every problem like a beginner — with curiosity, patience, and resilience. I still can’t build a React app (don’t ask), but I can write a Python script that checks the weather, reminds me to drink water, or prints a motivational quote. And in the Japanese way, that counts as victory.

The deeper lesson? Mastery is quiet. Progress is slow. Growth happens in tiny steps, repeated consistently over time. If you want to succeed — whether in coding, learning, or life — start small, stay curious, celebrate the micro-wins, and laugh at your mistakes. Let Japanese wisdom guide you: one deliberate, imperfect step at a time.

If you liked this article , I built a small digital Kaizen Code Journal that helped me stay consistent while learning.

This is my Kaizen-Code jouranl and it helped me to grow as a self taught.

And if you want a way to track your progress the same way — to build calm consistency while learning anything — I can give you my Kaizen Code Journal.

You can grab it here  After payment, just leave your Instagram or Telegram username or your X username in the note so I can send your copy.

Let’s grow quietly, one percent at a time. That’s Kaizen.

Related Article:

How I Learned Problem-Solving in Programming Using the Japanese Kaizen Method

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