Put Another Link on the Chain!

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A few weeks ago, I was asked to write an article on the Moon, and to focus on the Chinese sample returns. Day turned into week. Week turned into two weeks. And BOOM! I broke my chain of success.

The Chain is a concept I first heard about from Jerry Seinfeld. I swear I heard him talk about it, but all I can find now is a story, where a young comic asked Jerry what was the secret to great comedy. Jerry said “Tell a lot of jokes. Write at least one joke every day. Draw a big red X every day you write a joke, and don’t miss a day. Don’t break the chain.”

The idea here is that, after identifying some habit you want, you mark it on a calendar every day you do it. For me, my goal was to write an article for this blog once a week. When you focus on building that chain of successes, you are carving for yourself a consistent habit for long-term personal success.

Atomic Habits

Another guy who talks about this is James Clear, of Atomic Habits fame. He looks at these chain links as little micro-encouragements, micro-rewards. Each time you put another link on the chain, you get a little hit of dopamine that reinforces your identity. “This is what people like me do!”

The other strategy Clear adds is that, if you DO break the chain, get right back on that horse. If you skip a link, don’t skip two.

Now here is where my problem really lies. Once I miss a link, I miss the next one. And the next one. And, before I know it, my chain is long gone.

Then comes the guilt and the inner critic. “Of course you broke the chain. It’s because you suck.” I think what actually happens here is that I start a new chain that reinforces my identity as a chump.

The solution is really easy – just do the habit again and restart the chain. But, that’s easier said then done.

The Chain and ADHD

For those of us with ADHD, we tend to spiral and wallow. We constantly listen to that inner critic, and wind up agreeing with it. It’s like when a song gets stuck in your head. That song can play over a thousand times in there, maybe without you noticing it.

The inner critic does that too, but it’s not just annoying, like that song; the inner critic reinforces an awful identity.

The only way to end the song, and the inner critic, is to stop what you’re doing and confront that internal parasite. With the song, you can consciously stop the music, or think of a different tune.

It’s a little more difficult with the inner critic. With the critic, it’s useful to challenge what he’s saying.

“You’ll never start that habit, you suck!” Not true, I did keep that chain going, just had a little setback.

“You’re no writer, you suck!” No, a person becomes what he does. If I want to be a writer, I just need to write every day, which I did for a while.

“You’re a glutton, and you’ll never change. You suck, fat ass!” No, I did slip up and missed my salad yesterday, but I was doing fine for a while.

“You’re just a fat weakling! Get over it, you suck!” Not true. I just missed a few days at the gym. I can get back on this horse, you imaginary critic parasite.

After confronting the inner critic with real evidence for a bit, turn him off. Go put another link in your chain.

Get into the chain business

The real topic here is, all us distracted people want to get wealthy, but that’s impossible without focus. The chain helps us create a discrete continuity over a long period, of small actions that build toward larger goals.

In the words of Seinfeld: “No one’s really that great. You know who’s great? The people that just put tremendous amount of hours into it. It’s a game of tonnage.”

I believe that if you give the Chain a try, it will become a key to your success.

So how do you start?

1. Find your focus

This is the tough part. Pick something you want to do every day, something not too big. “I’ll read for 2 hours every day” probably won’t happen. But “I’ll read for 10 minutes every day” has a chance.

For another example, “I’ll go to the gym every day” is probably not going to happen. You’ll stop after like two days. But, “I’ll put on my running shoes every day” takes less than a minute. With those shoes on, you’re much more likely to actually go for the run.

And if you don’t go for the run, you can still put an X in your calendar.

2. Get a calendar

This can be a big wall calendar, or something DIY like a row of boxes drawn on a piece of paper, with dates written over them. The main thing is, you need something that can bear a visual record of your successes, something you can mark up.

If you just have to have an app on your phone, try Habitica. It has pretty good reviews, and can do more than just track the chain.

3. Be compassionate

If you miss a day, don’t be too hard on yourself. Even if you miss a week, don’t let that boring, poor inner critic take over. Just try to put another X on the calendar today. The more you do it, the more enjoyable it gets.

Remember, consistency is the key. Give the Chain a try, and watch yourself blow past your goals.

This article is evidence that I put an X on my calendar today.

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