Yesterday I mentioned Productivity Tricks. So today and tomorrow I’m posting 2 of my favourites.

“Don’t break the chain!”

This technique is credited to Jerry Seinfeld, and you can read about it at lifehacker.

First, you get a calendar (a physical one is better – you don’t want to use something like Google Calendar for this), and you define your Daily Action.

For example: Do you need to write 1 article every day for your website? Do you need to keep your accounts in order to save pain in tax season?

The concept is simple. Day 1, you do your task, and you put a big fat juicy red cross through the day on the calendar. Day 2, you repeat, and your chain has begun!

You now have to keep up your chain of red crosses as long as you can.

This works well because the idea of breaking your chain will grow more painful than the thought of doing your daily task. Woo!

This is an excellent way to form new (positive) habits.

I use it to get myself to write every day, even if I don’t feel like it.

Do you use “The Chain”?

- Lewis