Some might simply call this a “habit” but I see it as so much more. Jerry Seinfeld wasn’t the first to master the power of consistency but he might be one of the best examples out there. After studying his journey to the top of his field - it’s quite clear what he attributes his success to: consistency.
What is the Seinfeld method? In Jerry Seinfeld’s pursuit to be a great comedian, he took a disciplined approach. Every day, for 60 minutes, he got out his yellow legal pad and wrote. Didn’t matter what came off the tip of his pen, most of it was garbage! (his words). But every day, rain or shine, he was writing away on his legal pads, 60 minutes, every day. This is the “method” in a nutshell, forcing yourself to practice your craft for a defined period of time every single day (not every day except weekends, not every day excluding holidays, not everyday except the days you do not feel like it. Every. Single. Day. That’s the secret. That’s the hack.
He still does this. For multiple decades. He writes. When he talks about this lived experience, he compares writing to running. He says “nobody likes writing, the same way that nobody likes running.” You have to force yourself to do it every single day, and not give yourself a choice. The Seinfeld method is not about motivation, it’s about consistency. It’s not about hyping yourself up to do something, it’s about living within a system where you just “do.”
This “method” also involves a reward system. Pick a habit that’s very important, one you want to do every day. Set up a spreadsheet or a calendar and give yourself a big fat check mark, or smiley face sticker every time you do the thing (the reward). Ideally, you want this to be a big calendar on a highly visible wall if you can manage it.
The habit you are tracking has to be readily achievable (it has to be a process goal).
As Seinfeld says, seeing the chain of stickers grow is a great feeling, similar to how we like to see our savings grow. It’s a game, never break the chain, that will give you the extra motivation. Have you written for 127 days? Wow that’s amazing. I bet you’ll think twice about skipping day 128. Exhausted as you may be that day, no-one wants to back to zero.
I started using this method in 2020. Back then, my goal was to do a workout every day. There were days during COVID when I really flirted with the definition of “workout,” logging 10-min living-room workouts following along to YouTube influencers. That said, I never broke the chain and it turns out this has snowballed five years later into a full blown running obsession.
I’ve used this this method countless times: for work, to run, to get to bed before 9:30, to floss, to stretch, to weightlift, to write, to meditate, to dial my coffee intake, to hit hydration goals, to learn AI, to journal, and a whole lot more. You have to have a healthy relationship with it, but I’ll be honest - I love this method and it’s a key pillar that keeps me grounded and focused every day.
This is without a doubt, my #1 favorite tool. It’s simple, yet wildly effective. It’s easy to start. Pick one thing that you want to do every day that maps to a goal. Set up a spreadsheet or print out a calendar, grab some smiley face stickers and channel your inner Seinfeld.