Seinfeld's 'Don't Break the Chain' Rule

My client Ralph said something that threw me off. He thinks I don't care what anybody thinks about me. That couldn't be further from the truth.

I care deeply. Maybe too much sometimes.

But I also know that if I keep showing up and doing my thing, the rest takes care of itself. It's not about ignoring feedback. It's about staying consistent with who you are. And that reminded me of a backstage conversation I had with Jerry Seinfeld back in 1986 that changed how I approach everything.

His secret? Never break the chain.

Featured Story

Back in 1986, I got a call from an event promoter. Could I introduce Jerry Seinfeld and do a warmup set? Free dinner, bar tab, and hangout time with Jerry? Obviously yes.

The show hadn't hit yet. Jerry was still touring, living on the road, wearing himself out. We had a great conversation backstage. I asked how he manages to keep going.

His answer was simple. "I write every day. I put a big red X on the calendar. Eventually there's a chain of X's. My goal is never to break the chain." Years later, I've done 14,000 podcasts using that exact principle. Consistency wins.

Important Points

• Consistency beats talent when talent doesn't show up - just keep doing it daily and the average people fade away.

• You don't need permission or approval to get good at what you do - just show up and put in the repetitions daily.

• Your only competition is yesterday's version of yourself - focus there and opportunities will find you naturally.

Memorable Quotes

• "If you want to be good at anything, you're going to have to do it a lot, truly a ridiculous amount of repetitions."

• "Get good at what you do and just keep doing it every single day. You can truly do anything with that approach."

• "Average people will fade away. Your chance will come if you show up consistently every day and never break the chain."

Scott's Three-Step Approach

• Decide what consistency looks like for your goal - three days a week, daily, whatever works, then commit to it.

• Show up and do it every single day regardless of how you feel - put the X on the calendar no matter what happens.

• Keep the chain going until the compound effect kicks in and average people naturally fade from your competition.

Chapters

0:02 - When your client accidentally roasts you

0:28 - Do I really not care what people think?

1:28 - Why I keep showing up even in bad years

4:03 - Jerry Seinfeld's green room wisdom in 1986

5:40 - The brutal truth about consistency

6:47 - How to beat people who fall up

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