The Shinkansen Effect: How To Change Your Life

When you experience a crisis, you must take action to change the situation. Sometimes small changes do not work, but we have to restructure everything.
The Shinkansen effect: How to change your life

The Shinkansen effect got its name from the Japanese word for “high-speed train”. It is a method of dealing with and resolving any kind of crisis, be it related to your work, personal issues, relationships or spiritual matters.

The Japanese developed the first light rail in history. They did so in the middle of the twentieth century after losing World War II. In the face of this crisis, the nation took a new way of thinking that introduced new social and business models. These changes produced what became known as the “Japanese Miracle,” which referred to the incredible economic growth they experienced between the 1960s and 1990s.

Light rail representing the Shinkansen effect

The beginning of the Shinkansen effect

As mentioned earlier, the Japanese business revolution began after World War II. However, it was not until the 1990s that the world began to notice and call the phenomenon the “Shinkansen effect”.

More specifically, Jack Welch, former head of the North American company General Electric, became aware of this phenomenon in 1993. At that time, GE was in crisis because its employees exercised the principle of least effort. But after meeting Eiji Mikawa, head of the Tokyo branch of GE, he began to seek new strategies.

The Japanese department did much better than the parent company. This was because the Japanese employees had a mentality of sacrifice and flexibility.

The Japanese leader explained how his country changed in the 60s for his American counterpart. The change came when they wanted to improve the train network for the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964.

Mikawa explained that if you want to increase the maximum speed of a train by 10 km / h, just add more horsepower. But if you want to go from 150 km / h to 300 km / h, you have to change the design. Beyond trains, this mentality could be used in a number of situations across the country.

The Shinkansen effect and you

As mentioned earlier, the Shinkansen effect came from the Japanese business revolution in the mid-20th century. Thanks to their new way of thinking, they developed the first light rail. This train is one of the greatest transport advances of the 20th century.

In life you go through many personal changes. Some involve small improvements such as getting rid of bad habits. Others are so radical that they practically change your life completely.

Opens the door for change

From the Shinkansen effect, you can learn to make small changes in your life to improve it. But if you want a more radical change, you have to change everything from beginning to end. Easier said than done, right? It is difficult to change what we are already doing. It is even more difficult when these actions produce even the slightest positive result.

For example, let’s apply the Shinkansen effect to a pair. After going through some problems, they realize that they do not understand each other. At this point, perhaps they should move the relationship to another stage, make new plans, or change what they are doing altogether.

You can also use it on your professional career which may not be going so well or perhaps after a serious health problem. In times like these , it becomes necessary to review habits and routines. It may be time to make some radical changes to improve your situation.

How to use the Shinkansen effect

It can be difficult to use the Shinkansen effect. It involves a mental shift that forces you to accept change. There are a few steps that can help you use it more easily. First, you need to identify an area of ​​your life that needs some improvement. Then you need to  investigate the problem and find out what habits you need to change to achieve the desired outcome.

Finally, it never hurts to talk to someone who has been through a similar situation. Maybe seeing how they overcame it will inspire you. Also seek support from family and friends. It is important to have people around you who encourage you to change for the better. How to make radical changes in your life. Ideally, you should leave things that drag you down and experience a form of rebirth to have the life you have always wanted.

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