Don’t break the chain — The Seinfeld Strategy
If you’re like most people you find it hard to stay consistent with your goals. Most people abandon their New Year resolutions before start of February. They start with confidence and go headfirst, only to give up after some few days into the New Year after that initial burst of enthusiasm wanes.
But, there a few people who manage to stay consistent without falling off the wagon. These are people who end up becoming the top performers you celebrate every day. How do these people do it? What the secret to staying consistent and sticking to habits that lead you closer to your goals?
That might have been the question lingering on Brad Isaac’s mind when he met Jerry Seinfeld. Brad Isaac, now a software developer was just starting out in the comedy scene when he met Jerry Seinfeld an already famous comedian. He shared what happened in an interview with Lifehacker after he asked Seinfeld if he had any tips for a young comic.
Here’s how Brad Isaac said the interaction went down:
He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day.
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker. He said for each day that I do my task of writing; I get to put a big red X over that day.
“After a few days you’ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job is to not break the chain.”
However, Seinfeld later admitted himself that he didn’t come up with the idea. Whoever came up with the idea doesn’t get enough credit because the strategy works. It has helped me create a writing habit and stick with it. (That’s why you’re seeing this article anyway)
So, who’s Jerry Seinfeld?
Jerry Seinfeld is by far the most successful comedian of all-time. He has consistently been ranked as the highest paid comedian on Forbes. He is the co-creator of the iconic sitcom Seinfeld whose final episode aired was over two decades ago. Back in 2015, Hulu coughed up to $160 million for US streaming rights to the show. And, recently Netflix agreed to pay $500 million for the global streaming rights to the sitcom which is set to air on the platform from 2021. Now, Jerry Seinfeld is almost a billionaire worth an estimated $950 million.
Earnings from Seinfeld aside, It’s remarkable how Jerry Seinfeld still draws crowds earning over $20 million from a recent comedy tour and another $20 million from Netflix for his special “23 hours to kill”. Year after year he has performed at the highest level in his industry. You might not achieve his levels of success but to replicate his success, you could do at least give the Seinfeld strategy (allow me to call it that) a try.
Why the Seinfeld Strategy works
Here’s why Seinfeld Strategy works so well:
· Simple to use. While there is lots of habit tracking apps available out there, all you need is a calendar and a pen for the Seinfeld strategy to work. It’s a low resistance task and will require little or no will power at all to stick with it.
· Rewards. The strategy activates the brain reward system. Every time you put an X over that calendar, you get dopamine hits similar to those released while you play addictive video games.
· Accountability. There’s something strangely motivating about the ugliness of an unmarked spot on your calendar. Just the thought of that unmarked spot in your calendar will make you dread breaking the chain. Also, if you place the calendar where your friends and family can see it they’ll hold you accountable.
· Forces you to think small. With this, strategy you focus on one day at a time and you avoid being overwhelmed by big goals. If you stick with it, you appreciate the small incremental steps you’re making and reap the rewards of the compound effect.
Get started with the Seinfeld Strategy
To get started, decide on the goal you want to achieve. It might be having better relationships, losing weight, writing daily, acing that paper or starting a business.
Break down your goal into small action steps that you must perform consistently to achieve your desired outcome. These actions must be small enough that you cannot fail but at the same time sustainable to produce meaningful results. For example to get in shape, you can choose to start on one push up but build on it to get to 5 or 10 push-ups.
Get that calendar. Although the calendar is supposed physical, it doesn’t have to be a big wall calendar. You can even draw one in your journal. But, I feel the wall calendar works best because your friends and family will hold you accountable.
Mark an X on your calendar every time you successfully complete your set action or task. Over time it will grow into a long chain of X’s, your job will be not to break the chain. DON’T BREAK THE CHAIN.
Remember we said don’t break the chain but for every rule there’s an exception. Life is not linear. Sometimes life happens –unpredictable events occur and fail to do our set tasks. Don’t be too hard on yourself when it happens. It’s okay to miss but as James Clear says in his book Atomic Habits, NEVER MISS TWICE.
Every time you want to start a new habit, rinse and repeat. As I said before the Seinfeld strategy works. Give it a try.
Having you been struggling to stay consistent? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.
