Do you know that one powerful longterm motivator is self-reinforcing habits? The best example that comes to mind is Jerry Seinfeld’s productivity secret. His habit was spending time writing every single day:
Seinfeld 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 next is to not break the chain.”
By making the writing streak a goal, Seinfeld was able to create a self-reinforcing habit that built towards his dream of becoming a successful comedian. Each successful day made writing the next day even easier. By using the streak as a motivator, he was able to taste success every day and through repetition was able to break down resistance. If you can do something for long enough it becomes easier to maintain the habit than break it.
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