Jerry Seinfeld’s secret to greatness
Happy New Year! This time of year many people are making resolutions/goals regarding habits they would like to change or things they wish to accomplish in 2020.
As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” While it is smart to think about the end in mind when setting a goal (i.e losing 5 lbs), the more important step is to set and accomplish small daily tasks that work toward achieving that goal (i.e. going to the gym).
When Jerry Seinfeld was breaking into comedy, he didn’t write his entire standup in one day. Instead, he credits his “don’t break the chain” system as paramount to his success. For an entire calendar year, Seinfeld wrote a joke. Sometimes it would take him two minutes and sometimes four hours, but he would never break the chain.
Not only did he come up with a lot of jokes, but he also fostered the mindset that, “I am the kind of person who writes a joke every day.” It was non- negotiable, just something he did.
Somedays you may be able to devote more time to your craft than others; however, scientifically it has been shown that it takes 66 days to create a habit (increased from the previous belief of only 21 days). Even as little as 10 minutes per day contributes to over 60 hours in one year.
Whatever it is you’d like to achieve this year, start today. And most importantly, make sure you “don’t break the chain” in order to create habits and ultimately become the person you desire to be.
Coach Nelson serves as a high school football coach who is pursuing his doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology. He has worked for division 1 athletic departments, professional sport franchises, a Fortune 100 Company and has won numerous awards for his LEADership abilities.
His mission is to positively influence the world through Love, Effort, Attitude and Discipline (#LEAD). To learn more about the LEAD philosophy follow him on Twitter Levi Nelson or reach out via email at rln10@zips.uakron.edu He’d love to learn about or help you in your journey!
