neolateral

programming, drawing, photograpy etc.

Hello!

This is a method or strategy attributed to Jerry Sienfeld the famous standup comic. Now it’s possible that he wasn’t the first to use it, but this is how it is known in popular culture. The idea is in some sense a result of the adage “You are what you do.” Therefore if you want to be something, let’s say a singer or rally car driver - then you should sing or drive a rally car as often as possible.

This “as often as possible” translates to “everyday” in the Seinfeld method. He is a comic so he says put up a big calendar on the wall, with a box for each day. Then everyday you write a joke, you put a big green tick up ✅there and everyday you don’t you put a red cross ❌. When you have a streak of big green ticks going, your challenge is to keep growing the streak longer and longer. Every tick extends the streak, a cross resets the streak.

Seinfeld method streak checklist example

This applies to daily practice of any skill or habit you are trying to build. When you are on a 100-day streak, your mind will really try hard to make it 101. If you don’t make it to 101, you get a big fat reset to zero. And just like that you will find yourself building a daily practice, and you will be amazed at the output after a few days streak. That’s the idea, use streaks to build a daily habit.

I have used this method for several years now, for my language study, art practice, programming discipline, exercise etc. I can tell you from experience that it works for me. Now go ahead and try it. If you want to learn more - search the internet you will find many references about this method.

Happy arting,

Abhishek (art noob)