Don't Break the Chain: Surefire Productivity Workflow Hack

The Don't Break the Chain method was coined by American writer, producer, actor, and stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The method encourages you to accomplish your goal every day for an extended period.

Don't Break the Chain means putting an X on your calendar every day you accomplish your goal. In the long run, you will see a chain of X's that stretches for days until it becomes weeks and then months.

Seeing the X's in your calendar can provide a sense of accomplishment and deter you from breaking that chain. Being consistent in working toward your goal can help you develop a new habit like working out, journaling, mindfulness, etc.

Putting an X in your calendar is simple and easy, which is one of the primary reasons why it's so effective. Instead of getting distracted by multiple goals and tasks, it encourages you to focus on one thing consistently. At the same time, you don't need anything complicated or expensive to track your progress.

We are all visual creatures. We love seeing things. This method gives you the motivation to keep going because you'll see the string of days that you were already able to do it. It reminds you to stay committed to whatever daily goal you have.

Having your goal in mind and seeing it visually can boost your motivation and willpower. Rather than focusing on what you still need to do in the future, you are focused on what you've done so far and what you will do today.

Every habit has a neurological loop called a habit loop. The habit loop is made up of three elements: a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue is anything that triggers the habit; for example, the time of day, emotional state, or certain people. The routine is the habit itself, like reading, stretching, staying in bed after the alarm goes off, etc. Lastly, the reward is a positive reinforcement to do the desired behavior consistently.

If you don't break the chain, you can opt to give yourself rewards. For example, you can reward yourself every time you achieve 10 X's in a row in your calendar. Consistently repeating the practice shows that you're disciplined to create a new habit.

Your reward might be buying yourself your favorite comfort food, purchasing something for your house, or maybe getting a massage. You can choose whatever you like that makes what you're doing rewarding.

It's good to be reminded how far you've come. And that's exactly what this method does. It not only makes progress visible but also helps you see how far you've come and makes it harder to give up when you feel lazy or tired.

Don't overwhelm yourself by starting with 10 new life changes all at once. It might be exciting to start something new, but setting unreasonable expectations for yourself will just leave you feeling disappointed and discouraged. Just start with one. Try to reflect and think about the habit that will have the greatest impact.

For example, maybe you fall asleep at 2:00 a.m., and you know that this affects your work in the morning, making you feel lethargic. Starting a new habit like a 10-minute morning workout routine might help you get to bed earlier and also improve your health at the same time. Pick one — just one — impactful habit that's meaningful to you, and see how it goes.

Remember that our habits affect our lives and our goals. Imagine that your goal is to buy a large house. Right now, you have a habit of overspending. These two are related because your habit of spending money will eventually affect how you will save up for your bigger goal.

Be mindful of your small habits because they can turn out to have big impacts. Whenever you see that you have a bad habit, try to evaluate the bigger goal. That can help you appreciate how important it is to change it.

You can choose to keep your streak going for as long as possible. But, if you're just getting started, you might have more success if you aim for a 10-week, 60-day, or 30-day streak to give you an early sense of accomplishment. It will help you to have an achievable goal so that you know what you want to accomplish.

Make sure you're clear about defining what accomplishing your goal looks like for the day to earn that X in your calendar. Set clear parameters, such as the length of time you spend meditating or the number of pages you read, so you know what success and failure look like.

For example, if your goal is to exercise every day, specify how much time you need to spend exercising to earn your X. If you meet your time goal (say, 15 minutes), add another X to the chain.

There are a lot of tools that you can use to track your progress as you build a new habit.

• Monthly calendar: This is a super simple option, and you only need a pen and paper to track the chain. Calendars can be physical or digital. Just don't forget to put a mark in your "Don't Break the Chain calendar."
  
• Habio is a habit tracker app that can make your life better using simple and easy steps. Using this app, you can view your goal list, check your progress, add new habits, and check the status of existing ones. Habio is definitely something that will pump you up and help you continue the chain!
  

As much as possible, make sure not to break the chain twice in a row. This is important because the stronger your streak, the more momentum you'll feel. And when you have momentum, nothing can stop you.

When you've accomplished your first streak, don't stop there. Look again at your habits. What can you change? What can you do more?

Don't Break the Chain is a great method for building good habits, and it can help you keep going while tracking your goals. It might be hard at first, but when you see the progress you've made, you won't want to stop. Keeping your streaks going will make you more disciplined, productive, and successful in reaching your goals.