At the start of 2021 I built a new habit: I write my newsletter every Monday night after dinner. But this week I changed my routine.

Early this morning I received my second covid shot, and I heard there's a chance of feeling under the weather for a day. I didn't want to risk ending my 19-week newsletter streak because of potential vaccine side effects, so I wrote this week's email Saturday morning.

‍The Seinfeld Strategy

Years ago, a story circulated around the internet about a young comedian who asked Seinfeld for tips on becoming a better comedian. Seinfeld said his secret was to write a joke every day and draw a red X on his calendar.

Despite this story not actually being true (in a reddit post, Seinfeld clarified it wasn't his idea), the message still has merit.

When you follow through on a habit, the red X's build up and you create a chain of success. Like the game Snake on an old Nokia phone, the chain grows and grows over time. You don't want to break the chain.

Goals & Consistency

People talk about setting goals, which is important. But I think consistency is even more important. The longer the chain becomes, the more results we produce. Positive habits inevitably lead to growth and success.

I didn't create a "SMART goal" when I set a new year's resolution. I just knew I wanted to improve my writing and share ideas with the world, so I started the chain by creating this weekly newsletter.

Now my reader list is growing and I don't want to break the chain. I want everyone to know they can expect a new "red X" from me every Monday night. Any benefits, such as "getting 10K subscribers," are just positive side effects of being consistent.

Whatever you're striving for, don't break the chain!