"Don't break the chain!"

Have you ever set yourself some big goals, started working towards them enthusiastically, yet before long you lose steam and motivation, only to give up? 😫

Maybe you’ve chosen a particular piece for an upcoming concert, want to improve a certain aspect of your playing, or want to expand your musical knowledge. You start off with a big burst of energy and excitement, which makes learning easy and fun. But once this feeling wears off, you’re left with the harsh reality that reaching your goal will take quite a lot more time and effort than you had hoped. Overwhelm and worry quickly sets in, turning motivation into procrastination, and progress grinds to a halt!

Whilst this scenario is incredibly common for most people, the key to lasting growth and improvement for any performer is being CONSISTENT in working towards your goals…day after day, month after month, year after year…

There are plenty of tips and tricks in developing new habits and working towards your goals, but here is one strategy that I’ve found to be really effective and easy to implement into your daily routine. And it’s even named after one of my favourite comedians, Jerry Seinfeld.

It’s called “The Seinfeld Strategy.”

Jerry Seinfeld is known as one of the most consistent and productive comedians in recent times. In an article in Lifehacker a few years ago, young comic Brad Isaac had the chance ask Seinfeld if he had any advice for an up-and-coming comedian. This is what he found out:

"[Seinfeld] 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.”

Seinfeld knew that he needed a system to help stay motivated and accountable each day, even when he found it difficult. He put all of his focus on the PROCESS of writing, instead of focusing on the RESULTS. It wasn’t important if he was feeling inspired to write or not, if he thought his writing was good or bad, or if his material would eventually be used in an upcoming show. The emphasis was on showing up, putting in the effort, and “not breaking the chain” each and every day. ⛓

It was because of this process-focused approach that Seinfeld was able to maintain an incredibly productive, consistent, and successful career.

“What gets measured, gets managed” – Peter Drucker

So how can you make your own Seinfeld Strategy? Here are 5 steps to get you started:

1. Choose an outcome goal

Where do you want to improve as a musician, and what do you want to achieve? This is the outcome that you’re working towards, such as performing in your end-of-year recital, doing an audition, or becoming a professional musician in your chosen genre of music. Try to be as specific as possible.

2. What is/are the most important task(s) that you need to do each day to move you towards this goal?

Make sure it’s something that is meaningful, yet simple to do on a daily basis. If you’re preparing for an audition, it might be listening to multiple recordings of an excerpt, or practising one or two specific elements required in that excerpt. For a recital, it might be working on a small section of your concerto each day. Or it could even be as simple as putting in 20 minutes of focused practice every day. Again, be as specific as possible.

3. Set up your calendar

Write your outcome goal and daily task on the top of the calendar. Then position it in a spot where you can see it, ideally as close to your practice space as possible. You want it to be visually noticeable, so that your outcome goal and daily task are at the forefront of your mind, holding you to account as you practice. This will help to keep you focused and on-task throughout your practice session.

If you don’t have a spare calendar lying around, here is a website with free printable calendars. 📆

4. Savour and celebrate each daily success!

Enjoy the process of putting a big, red ❌ over each completed day. Pat yourself on the back for continuing the chain, and plan to keep it going tomorrow and into the future. Once you see a long line of ❌ marks, you’ll be naturally motivated to keep it going! ❌❌❌❌❌

5. Be kind to yourself when you inevitably miss a day

Whilst it is easy to think that you’ll be able to keep the chain going forever, there will no doubt be a point where you’ll skip a day. Rather than getting negative about the miss, remember to be kind to yourself, and realise that a day off is not always a bad thing!

You can also allow for sick days, or give yourself a certain number of “rest days” per month if you like, so you can be a bit flexible too.

I always keep a record of my “personal best chain number”, and have an eye to breaking this record with my next chain after a missed day.

You may have noticed that some apps already use the Seinfeld Strategy as an in-built motivational tool (the meditation app I use, for example). Whilst this is really easy and convenient, I’ve found that having a physical calendar with your goals and tasks staring you in the face for each practice session is a powerful motivational strategy in itself.

There are specifically designed Seinfeld Strategy apps that you can use, but I would recommend starting with the “old school” paper calendar, instead of heading straight for the digital version. Just my personal preference, but I’ve found that physically putting crosses over the numbers on the calendar to be quite satisfying! 🖊 But let me know which version you prefer. 😏