Why Jerry Seinfeld?

Most people are familiar with the sitcom Seinfeld, co-created and co-written by Jerry Seinfeld, a figure celebrated as one of Comedy Central’s “Top 100 Comedians of All Time.”

In 1998, he earned a staggering $267 million in just one year, an unprecedented feat in television history. NBC was so eager to retain him that they offered him $5 million per episode, while the cast of Friends was earning “only” $1 million per episode at their peak.

The scale of that achievement is unfathomable to me, as I have not yet demonstrated the level of dedication required to reach such heights in my own career.

What sets Jerry Seinfeld apart is his remarkable consistency.

While he possesses numerous qualities that contribute to his success, his commitment to consistency is particularly noteworthy and is something we can cultivate in ourselves.

However, implementing this is often more challenging than it seems.

Assessing Your Position

If you are reading this, it’s likely that you seek change.

The first step I took—and the one you must also embrace—is to reflect deeply on yourself. Not merely in a physical sense, but mentally.

Consider your ambitions. What do you hope to achieve? What kind of individual do you believe can accomplish these goals?

For instance, my aspiration is to become fit and shed some weight. I recognize that a fit person prioritizes exercise, maintains a healthy diet, stays active, and exhibits both consistency and patience.

Now, juxtapose that image with your current reality.

Are you undertaking the necessary actions to achieve your objectives? Avoid making excuses. You may believe you lack time, but the fundamental question remains: Are you doing everything possible to reach your goals?

If the answer is no, then you will likely struggle to attain those aspirations.

We often yearn to create but find ourselves caught in a cycle of procrastination. We desire to exercise, yet motivation eludes us. We want to fulfill our goals, yet we repeatedly fall victim to delay.

I spent a year and a half waiting for the perfect moment to resume writing.

Had I not realized that the perfect moment would never arrive, you would not be reading this, and I would be lamenting the time wasted in a job I do not enjoy.

What Sparked the Change?

I began to despise myself.

I was frustrated with my inability to carve out even thirty minutes a day to write. I resented neglecting my health, dreams, and ambitions, spending precious time indulging in television shows, movies, and fictional books.

And I was not even content; I felt sad and depressed most of the time.

That realization marked the moment I knew I needed to change, a process I have been committed to for over eight months.

Here’s what I did:

• I read books that enhanced my writing and boosted my self-esteem.
• I established a writing routine.
• I explored new activities that would foster growth in the long run.
• I engaged in some form of physical activity daily.
• I practiced moments of silence.
• I limited my phone usage to under thirty minutes each day.

Moreover, I tracked my progress, made plans, and ensured I adhered to them.

This leads us to the core of this article.

The “Seinfeld Strategy”

The foundation of this approach began with Brad Isaac, a young comedian starting his career. One night, he found himself at a comedy club where Jerry Seinfeld was performing.

Isaac later shared what transpired when he met Seinfeld backstage and inquired about advice for novice comics.

> He explained that to become a better comic, one must create better jokes, and the key to crafting better jokes is to write daily.

He advised Isaac to acquire a large wall calendar displaying an entire year on one page and hang it in a prominent spot. Then, he suggested using a big red marker to mark each day that Isaac completed his writing task with a bold red "X."

> “After a few days, you’ll see a chain forming. Just keep at it and watch it grow longer each day. You’ll appreciate seeing that chain, especially after a few weeks. Your only job is to not break the chain.”

How to Overcome Procrastination

When I started in January, I was unaware that this method even had a name. I simply knew it had worked for my brother. So, I bought a calendar (not one that displays an entire year but functional nonetheless) and began marking the days when I accomplished my tasks.

My goal was to maintain the chain.

March turned out to be my best month, during which I logged a total of 152 hours of work alongside my 9-to-5 job without missing a single day.

As of this month, I revised my criteria for a successful day to include exercise, reading, writing, and meditation.

This may seem overwhelming, as I also aim to produce at least one video daily for my faceless YouTube channel.

Through all of this, my primary goal remains not to quit. I impose no time limits on any activity aside from writing.

Here are my daily requirements:

• Write 1,000 words each day.
• Exercise for a minimum of 15 minutes daily. I recognize this is modest, but I’m focused on building a habit.
• Meditate, even if only for a minute.
• Create one video each day for YouTube.
• Read between two to ten pages each day. Since I began the 66write challenge by Eve Arnold on Twitter, I’ve been aiming for ten pages daily.

These represent the minimum tasks I must accomplish each day for it to be deemed successful. If I am particularly busy or unwell, I still strive to write (if possible).

With the Seinfeld method, the paramount goal is “not breaking the chain.”

Thus, if I can only manage to write two paragraphs on days when I’m not feeling well, that suffices. However, if everything is optimal and I still fail to write, that day does not count.

Here’s how my current month looks:

I missed a day on May 8th due to an emergency, prompting my chain to restart on May 9th. I dislike any gaps in my calendar, which serves as my motivation.

(The numbers indicate the total hours worked that day—writing plus YouTube.)

Why This Method Works

To achieve success in any area, one must show up consistently, day after day, delivering their best. Many people around you fail to do this simple task. They are not pursuing their dreams and often wish to keep you stagnant alongside them.

Distractions and urgent matters will always arise in life. There will never be an ideal moment to begin, which is why you must determine what you want your future to look like and take steps to realize it.

For me, the challenge lay not in starting, but in maintaining momentum. I was like many others, susceptible to losing motivation after a single bad day at work. If I stumbled in any task, I would often retreat into inactivity, wasting days in front of screens.

In contrast, top performers quickly return to their routines the following day, undeterred.

This is why this strategy proves effective. It shifts the focus from results to the process itself. It emphasizes that it doesn’t matter how poorly I write or the number of views I receive; the essential factor is that I write daily.

The process now takes precedence over the outcome.

It’s not about feeling inspired or motivated, nor is it about the immediate quality of your work. The sole objective is to “not break the chain.”

And the beauty of it is that starting is incredibly simple. All that is required is a calendar and a commitment to begin your own chain.

Consistency Over Intensity

Start small.

When I began, my target was merely to write for 15 minutes each day. As I became accustomed to it, I gradually increased the time. What began as 15 minutes evolved to 30, and now I focus on word count.

This approach is particularly useful on days when motivation wanes. When you sit down to work, you are unlikely to stop once you’ve met your daily goal. On productive days, I can write for three to four hours.

Select tasks that are straightforward enough to sustain yet meaningful enough to yield results.

For instance, just writing isn’t sufficient for me; I must also publish my work. In the early stages, I neglected this aspect and saw no improvement in my outcomes.

Writing, even in small increments, can lead to significant results if you share your work publicly.

Additionally, to enhance my health, simply reading about healthy habits or watching weight-loss videos is ineffective unless I take action myself.

Therefore, exercising is imperative. Merely conducting research does not constitute a successful day.

Choose tasks that are manageable and capable of generating the desired outcomes.

Key Takeaway

Since I began writing in 2020, after quitting twice and making excuses for my absence, I am finally establishing a writing routine.

I once believed it would take monumental effort to keep up with my goals, but I was mistaken. All it requires is dedication to small, achievable tasks. Commit to these tasks daily for the rest of your life, and in a few years, you will be unrecognizable.

Your life will improve dramatically.

By consistently pursuing your passions, results will manifest more rapidly.

Unwavering consistency is essential for constructing your dream life. Start today and ensure you don’t break the chain.

Interested in becoming a writer but unsure where to begin? Get your free copy of **Beginner’s Guide To Writing on Medium*. Also, feel free to connect with me on Twitter.*