Our nutrition challenge begins Monday, at 12:00 am! Monday is also the second full week of the new year and guess what? Many people may already be beginning to wane on their New Years Resolutions!
I personally find it simple when I want to start a habit, be more productive, whatever I want to do to better myself (when I want to....sometimes I don't care), by doing one simple thing.
I learned a trick from studying about Jerry Seinfeld years ago. Seinfeld is one of the most successful comedians of all‐time and still my favorite show of all time!
Here’s what Seinfeld said in an interview as the secret to his success and productivity in joke writing:
"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.”
You’ll notice that Seinfeld didn't say a single thing about results. It didn't matter if he was motivated or not. It didn't matter if he was writing great jokes or not. It didn't matter if what he was working on would ever make it into a show. All that mattered was “not breaking the chain.”
While most people get demotivated and off–track after a bad performance, a bad workout, or simply a bad day at work; top performers, like Seinfeld, settle right back into their pattern the next day.
I've tried this method with several different tasks in my life. Eating better, working out, stretching/ mobility (which I hate), studying. And Seinfeld is right. The longer I see the "chain", the more it motivates me. When I break the "chain", it motivates me to try to make it longer beginning the next day!
For me to be successful in any nutrition-type challenge, I throw away all thoughts of the scale, measurements, photos, anything and just focus on making a long "chain" of successful days on my calender. All the other numbers and progress will follow!
So give it a try, whether its for the nutrition challenge, just getting to the gym daily, or whatever, see if you can make yourself a more productive, healthier you!
Yes! Seinfeld!!!
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