The Secret to Productivity….ala Seinfeld
Posted by danleone on December 20th, 2007 filed in getting things doneI have spent a lot of time studying how to be more productive. The latest in Geek Chic is the system of getting things done called, interestingly, Getting Things Done…or GTD for short. If it is you struggle with staying organized in your professional or personal lives, then I would recommend looking into it. You can read an introduction to the GTD methodology here.
Now, just because I have spent a lot of time studying productivity doesn’t mean I am a productive person. It is sort of like a geologist. I am no closer to being productive than a geologist is to being a rock. But one of my key procrastination strategies is to spend a lot of time learning about how not to procrastinate. That is why I have become so good at not writing my novel.
But I came across an interesting strategy that might come in handy, especially for those that like to make New Year’s Resolutions. You can read the entire article here: lifehacker.com.
In it, we read about a technique Jerry Seinfeld uses to motivate himself to write everyday. He takes a big wall calendar and a red magic marker. He commits himself to writing every day and when he does, he then marks the calendar with a red X. After a few days of this, he has begun creating a chain of these X’s. This now becomes his motivation to keep the chain going. The whole point of this exercise is to not break the chain.
It is is such a simple, beautiful visual representation of keeping you consistent. That is the one area where I fall apart…CONSTANTLY. I have consistency for a brief period of time and I fizzle fairly quickly.
I can see how this can be helpful for so many of the New Year’s Resolutions I am sure we are all making. In addition to helping maintain consistent writing, it might be used for exercising, reading and dieting to name a few. I can even see it being used as a negative reinforcement. For example, you could put a red X for days that you go without watching TV. I could use it to put a red X for every day I don’t swear at my Baby Goats.
Anyway, simple, little “tricks” like this can be a useful tool to not only jump start a new habit, but may also be useful to sustain you when you you inevitably hit a slump.
My only mod to this system is that I won’t need to buy a Year-at-a-Glance calendar. I can just tear out January from the calendar and hang that on the wall because if I can maintain over 14 days of consistency, I would be shocked!
Question for BoMR: Whether or not you have a New Year’s resolution, what techniques do you use to maintain consistency in your life?
9 Responses to “The Secret to Productivity….ala Seinfeld”
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December 20th, 2007 at 6:31 am
that’s quite a great little tip. i should have known it because i have one of those google modules that takes feeds from lifehacker.com. it turns out that even though i’ve done that i still don’t make time to read the dang thing. is there a ‘how to make time for lifehacker’ tip? i wouldn’t have time to read that either. crap.
oh yes, the question. *actually* i got these large post-it notes that have a blank month on them. then i can put the things on it that we need to remember. the consistency? that we always go ‘crap. should’ve looked at that.’ at the end of the month.
oh, and ‘crap….’ at the end of the week. i got the week post-it notes too.
my only consistency looks like i buy things and don’t use them properly.
now where’s that pda…
December 20th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
That’s a great tip, but I don’t have a red marker, so I can’t do it. I could go to the store to get one, but then when would I have time to read funny blogs like yours? They don’t read themselves, you know.
Next time, Jerry Seinfeld. Next time.
December 21st, 2007 at 8:13 pm
i never make new years resolutions. i’ve never been consistent. so…no techniques to let you know about, here. but, if anyone comes up with anything…let me know!
i just suck at sticking to things. i’m surprised i’ve lasted this long with blogging!
have a great weekend!
December 22nd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
I’m like you – I can’t keep things going consistently for long. There’s no alternative to forcing yourself, and for that you really have to give yourself no other options. After 20 years of procrastination, I’m finally beginning to realise my dream (learning Greek), which I’m doing by forcing it into my routine. I won’t read papers or books in English, I won’t watch English TV, etc. This is all non-negotiable. I suspect that Seinfeld’s method is doing the same sort of thing – the red cross is a simple measure, and it works so long as it’s a non-negotiable part of his life. Once you start saying “well, I don’t really have to, I can miss the odd day”, then you’ve lost it.
December 22nd, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Hey Dan. You may pretend to not possess consistency, but I’ve been by a few times now and have always enjoyed the read.
December 23rd, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I consistently avoid making New Year’s resolutions, because I never, ever stick to them. Now that’s how you define success: avoiding it altogether.
December 23rd, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I like it! I like it! Hmmm…I’m going to definitely give this a shot. Can’t hurt.
December 24th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Dan, Merry Christmas to you, yours and BOYR and thanks for your support to me during the year.
December 25th, 2007 at 12:48 am
Must be something unproductive in the air:
http://www.un-loaded.com/2007/12/fraud.html
Don’t take it too hard, though. If I wrote a line for every minute spent on Lifehacker I would have been published already. It’s basically like those How to Write books–mostly just an excuse to postpone the simple act of writing. And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing that gives me as much pleasure as writing a page of fiction, but if I didn’t do it today, well, so be it. Who knows? Maybe inspiration WILL come from watching VH1′s “Best Year Ever”?