- Nail My Launch
- Posts
- The Seinfeld Calendar Framework
I often ponder the idea of moving forward in life.
For me, there's a deep sense of joy and accomplishment in taking steps toward becoming better than I was yesterday.
While I'm uncertain about where exactly this path leads, I'm absolutely certain that the only way I want to move along it is in a forward direction.
Over time, I've noticed that we tend to make the process of advancing much more complicated than it needs to be. We mistakenly think it requires extraordinary effort or constant intensity.
But guess what? Those big leaps of progress are really just the result of lots of small steps taken every single day.
Whenever I write, my goal is simple: I aim to take complex ideas and make them easy to understand. So today, I want to share a straightforward way to make progress in your life.
The Secret of Seinfeld
Have you heard of Jerry Seinfeld? He's a legendary figure, someone both creatives and non-creatives can learn from.
He's considered one of the greatest comedians ever and has made almost $1 billion. Would you believe that he initially earned only $100,000 for the entire first season of his show Seinfeld? By the ninth season, he was making over $1 million per episode.
What's most remarkable about Seinfeld, though, is his consistent creativity over the years. He's quick to point out in interviews that this wasn't just a natural gift he was born with. He actually engineered it.
A fellow comedian, Brad Isaac, had an interesting interaction with Seinfeld that revealed his method for staying consistent and growing:
Seinfeld advised Brad that to become a better comedian, he should create better jokes, and the key to that was writing every single day.
He suggested getting a big yearly calendar and putting it up where he'd see it every day. Then, use a big red marker to mark an X on each day he completes his writing task.
"After a few days, you'll have a chain. Just keep at it, and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll enjoy seeing that chain, especially after a few weeks. Your only job is to not break the chain."
The Seinfeld Calendar Framework:
Hang a big calendar on the wall. Use a big red marker to mark an X on every day you complete your daily [insert habit here]. The habit should be simple and easy to do. Don't break the chain of Xs!
The cool thing is, it's not about creating masterpieces every day—it's about sticking to the daily routine.
The brilliance lies in its simplicity. It's all about doing something small every day, and that adds up over time.
Seinfeld knew it well: Consistent daily practice leads to long-term success.
The 30-for-30 Challenge
After learning about Seinfeld's calendar trick, I came up with my own approach for improvement.
I call it the 30-for-30 Challenge: 30 days, 30 minutes a day.
Here's how it works:
Pick something you want to get better at—whether it's a skill, a habit, or something you already know but want to improve.
Commit to giving focused effort to that thing for 30 minutes each day, for 30 days straight.
Add positive pressure by telling someone about your plan—it makes it harder to give up.
Keep track of your daily progress on a calendar.
The 30-for-30 Challenge has three main benefits:
Real Commitment Choosing one thing to work on for a month shows if you're truly dedicated to improving in that area.
30 days mean something.
If you're only halfway invested, you won't commit to the full 30 days.
It's like a commitment test.
Less Scary While 30 days is a solid commitment, 30 minutes is a short enough time that it's not overwhelming. You can tackle it mentally without feeling intimidated.
Often, the fear of starting holds us back. We think something's too big to handle, so we don't even try. New habits and self-improvement goals can feel that way.
Remember, when you're standing in front of a cold pool, the hardest part is jumping in—once you're in, it's not so bad!
For instance, many people want to get fit, but if you're out of shape, it can be scary. 30-for-30 breaks it down into a simple, doable task.
Just spend 30 minutes today. That's it.
Strong Compound Effects 30 days of 30 minutes each adds up to 900 minutes of effort.
And guess what? 900 focused minutes can bring impressive results. Practically anything can improve with 900 minutes of dedicated work.
Consider these examples:
900 minutes of moderate cardio significantly boosts your fitness.
900 minutes of writing makes you a much better writer.
900 minutes of reading covers several important books and articles.
900 minutes of meditation clear your mind.
900 minutes spent on a secret project makes real progress.
Remember
Big progress is just the result of many small daily steps.
Little things become big things.
In Conclusion
To sum up the 30-for-30 Challenge:
Pick your focus: What do you want to improve? What habit or skill are you aiming for?
Commit: 30 days, 30 minutes a day.
Create Accountability: Share your plan with someone.
Track: Use a calendar or tool to monitor your daily progress.
30-for-30 works because it turns improvement into a series of short, manageable steps. It encourages you to work consistently, like a lion.
Consistency + Determination = Progress.
In the upcoming editions of The Rationalist Chronicle, we'll explore more strategies and insights to optimise different aspects of our lives.
From lifestyle design to goal setting, we'll delve into topics that empower us to lead fulfilling, high-performance lives and eventually build our empires as we escape the rat race.
Thank you for joining me on this adventure.
Until next time, stay obsessed and keep striving for greatness!
Best regards,
Writer and Lifestyle designer
If you're loving this free newsletter, it would be awesome if you spread the word and share it with your friends.
We've just launched The Rationalist Chronicle, and every single person you refer makes a huge difference. Thank you so much for your support!
Reply