Check out this excerpt from a recent Lifehacker.com article that is getting lots of attention (thanks to Rob Minton for pointing it out).
====
"Years ago when Seinfeld was a new television show, Jerry Seinfeld was still a touring comic. At the time, I was hanging around clubs doing open mic nights and trying to learn the ropes. One night I was in the club where Seinfeld was working, and before he went on stage, I saw my chance. I had to ask Seinfeld if he had any tips for a young comic. What he told me was something that would benefit me a lifetime...
He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself—even when you don't feel like it.
He revealed a unique calendar system he uses to pressure himself to write. Here's how it works.
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.
He 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."
"Don't break the chain," he said again for emphasis."
====
Recently, we had a real estate investor tell us that they were having extreme difficulty finding a tenant for her property.
We gave her the "Jerry Seinfeld" advice without knowing it.
The trick to finding a good tenant, flipping a property for profit, collecting a large option fee ... is doing something productive every single day.
Placing ads, updating ads, running new ads, calling possible tenants back, scheduling appointments, talking to tenants, practising talking to tenants ... and doing something every single day.
Never breaking the chain.
The best part about this advice is that it can be used for ANYTHING.
We use the exact same approach for getting anything done. Whether it's building a new website, a new marketing campaign, a new class or an entire business.
The compound effect of doing something every day is the greatest secret to achievement we've ever found.
And want to know a little secret?
We struggle with doing productive things.
Whenever I find myself organizing my desk, surfing iTunes, checking my favourite Austrian Economics financial blogs ... I know I'm avoiding doing actual work.
Our goal is to do one to four productive 45 minutes blocks of time every day.
Some days because of meetings or events we only do one but other days we can do up to four.
That leaves enough time in the day to handle email and voicemails and deal with problems that pop up.
We recently interviewed Verne Harnsih for our Rock Star Inner Circle Members. He's the author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits ... a must read for any business builder by the way.
Anyway, he mentioned that from all the entrepreneurs he has dealt with over the years the ones who get the most results are the ones who have the ability to do a couple of productive things ... EVERY DAY.
Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago a top copywriter told us that the highest paid copywriters in the world that he hangs out with work in 90-minute intervals and they do one to three of those every day.
Seeing a trend yet?
Comics, copywriters, real estate investors, business builders ... seems like this process works.
You don't work when you "feel like it" or "when inspiration hits" ... to achieve results you work EVERY DAY.
Never break the chain!
It may be time to get a big old calendar and a couple of Sharpie markers.
They may be the key to your success!
Go get 'em!
Until next time ... Your Life! Your Terms!
