{"id":5449,"date":"2018-01-18T16:14:47","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T15:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenkit.comblog\/dont-break-the-chain\/"},"modified":"2023-07-12T11:36:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T09:36:48","slug":"dont-break-the-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/en\/blog\/dont-break-the-chain\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Break the Chain!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/p>\n

We all know the feeling. You\u2019ve set your new year\u2019s resolutions. You\u2019re super motivated to start your journey, whether it be towards fitness goals, learning a new skill, finally writing that book, or something else close to your heart.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s now mid-January. Life has started taking over again: work gets in the way, that huge snowstorm is making it really hard to get to the gym, and your motivation is waning. You skip one day, then another, and all of a sudden you\u2019re no longer on track to meet your goals.<\/p>\n

It can be super tough to stay motivated in the face of so many \u201cgood\u201d excuses. But often the simplest of tricks are the most effective to get started and keep it going! Today we\u2019re going to look at one in particular:<\/p>\n

\n

Don\u2019t Break the Chain.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You may have heard of this technique before. First published in Lifehacker<\/a>, as told by programmer and aspiring comedian, Brad Isaac, this technique was recommended by Jerry Seinfeld as a way to improve his joke writing skills.<\/p>\n

His secret? Set up a calendar somewhere visible. Every time you complete the thing you want to do each day (in his case, writing jokes), cross that day off with a big red marker.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a few days you\u2019ll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You\u2019ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the\u00a0chain.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t break the\u00a0chain.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"seinfeld<\/figure>\n
\n

Why Does it Work So Well?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It works so well because of the compound effect of habit<\/em>. You may have heard that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert, that you achieve success one step at a time, or that a journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step\u2026 I could go on. The key is consistency.<\/p>\n

\"man<\/figure>\n

For example, practising an instrument for 30 minutes a day is far more beneficial than trying to practice for 4 hours once a week. Your brain has time to process what you learned in your last practice, you regularly strengthen the neural pathways that help build muscle memory, and you notice and remember small opportunities for improvement. Plus it\u2019s sustainable\u200a\u2014\u200ait\u2019s much easier to commit to 30 minutes than it is to 4 hours!<\/p>\n

The beautiful thing is that you don\u2019t have to do it perfectly each day. Some days you\u2019re feeling \u2018off\u2019, and that\u2019s fine! It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re doing the best you\u2019ve ever done, or you don\u2019t even finish whatever it is you want to do. The only rule is that you don\u2019t break the chain. You do it because it\u2019s just something you do every day.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also perfect for people who want to improve in one or two key areas, and aren\u2019t quite ready for something so complex as GTD<\/a>. (Although it can be used in conjunction with GTD if you\u2019re a productivity powerhouse already!)<\/p>\n

Progress is inevitable when you\u2019ve built up momentum. No matter how perfect or imperfect your efforts are each day, it builds upon the efforts you\u2019ve made in the past.<\/p>\n

\n

Getting Started<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Getting started with your chain is really simple. Here are the basics:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Figure out your goal, or goals.<\/strong> It\u2019s best to stick to just one or two at the beginning. You can always add more as you get better at it!<\/li>\n
  2. Figure out your minimum requirements. <\/strong>Practice one song a day. Write a page. Run a mile.<\/li>\n
  3. Pick your tool.<\/strong> A printed calendar, a Zenkit<\/a> collection, or a dedicated app. Pick what works best for you.<\/li>\n
  4. Set your boundaries.<\/strong> What do you do if you\u2019re sick or on vacation? What\u2019s an acceptable reason to not accomplish your goal that day, without having to break the chain?<\/li>\n
  5. Choose a reward (optional). <\/strong>While not breaking the chain is great motivation in and of itself, sometimes it helps to have a reward to look forward to!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It\u2019s as easy as that! Unlike GTD, it should only take about 15\u201330 minutes to set up and requires almost no bookkeeping. The calendar is your guide, and following it is as simple as just marking off your progress!<\/p>\n

    \n

    Make it Work for You<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Everyone is different, and every goal will require a different sort of commitment. Here are a few tips about how you can make the system work best for you and your goals.<\/p>\n

    Picking your\u00a0goal(s)<\/h3>\n
    \"notebook<\/figure>\n

    The aim is to do whatever it is you choose every day for a year, so the biggest tip I can share is: Pick something you actually want to do!<\/strong> Make sure that you\u2019re not only willing but also mentally and physically able to do it. There\u2019s no point setting a goal to run 10km every day if you\u2019ve never even run one.<\/p>\n

    Next up, be flexible!<\/strong> Often it helps to have a specific goal to work towards, but in this case, being non-specific can give you more room to reach even more goals. A good example would be to set your goal to \u2018exercise every day for 30-minutes\u2019. That way, you can set up mini-goals and projects throughout the year\u200a\u2014\u200alearning to handstand, being able to do 5 pull-ups in a row, reaching a 5km run. When you\u2019ve reached one, move on to the next! It also leaves wiggle room for days outside of your normal routine, where maybe you can only manage a walk or a light yoga session.<\/p>\n

    Lastly, be realistic.<\/strong> While a goal such as \u201cend climate change\u201d is admirable, it\u2019s not easily attainable. Instead, choose one like \u201cMake a choice that positively impacts the environment\u201d each day. Then, whether you bike to work instead of drive, choose to bring your own boxes to the store, separate your trash to be recycled, or decide to eat only plant-based foods for a day, you can check your calendar entry off, and contribute toward your original, albeit lofty, goal.<\/p>\n

    Setting your minimum requirements<\/h3>\n
    \"tape<\/figure>\n

    It\u2019s nearly always better to pick an outcome-related requirement, rather than a time-related one. <\/strong>Why? Well, if given a certain amount of time to fill, your brain will try to cheat and find ways to fill it without having to do much work. If you set your minimum requirement to be outcome related, e.g. \u2018complete one module of an online course\u2019 instead of \u2018spend 15 minutes learning to code\u2019 or \u2018write 500 words\u2019 instead of \u2018write for 30-minutes\u2019, you\u2019ll get more done, more efficiently, and possibly in less time than your original time goal. You can always increase the minimum requirement as you improve over time\u200a\u2014\u200awrite 1000 words a day, or complete three tasks on your development list.<\/p>\n

    Remember that we\u2019re all human and there are only 24 hours in a day<\/strong>. The more chains you\u2019re working on at a time, the less time you have to spend on each one. Don\u2019t set minimum requirements that\u2019ll take up more time than you can give. That\u2019s a surefire way to end up breaking one or more of your chains, and losing motivation.<\/p>\n

    Picking your\u00a0tools<\/h3>\n
    \"workshop<\/figure>\n

    The original version of this technique relies on big monthly calendars printed out and stuck to the wall, and a fat red sharpie. This works if you\u2019re always in the same place and you like big, visual cues.<\/p>\n

    If you prefer a smaller or more portable option, you could use a diary or even a single printed sheet with each day of the year printed on it.<\/p>\n

    Or you could go completely digital. There are, of course, lots of apps and browser extensions dedicated to this that you can choose from.<\/p>\n\r\n