How To Build a Work Habit

Work doesn’t feel like work when you can turn it into a game.

Games have clear objectives, they’re competitive, there are rewards and consequences and you’re accountable to the task at hand.

Oh yeah, and games are fun.

So how can you make your work feel like a game? You create rules and guidelines and rewards and consequences. The game here is called “Seek a Streak.” Every day that you work or accomplish something, you mark it down. Jerry Seinfeld famously puts a red X in a calendar every day he writes jokes. He’s been doing it for 30+ years.

“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.”

Now, skipping a day seems like a big deal. You’re not just missing one day, you’re breaking the whole streak of days before that. The longer it gets, the more likely you are to keep it going.

It’s fun.

Whether it’s a journal, side projects, work, going to the gym, eating right, not bringing up your ex... a streak is a great way to start a habit.

Get to work. Seek a Streak. Don’t break it. Watch it grow. Build a new habit.

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Caveday is a company aimed at improving your relationship to work. We write regular posts on Medium and send out monthly newsletters with productivity tips, life hacks, and recommendations. Sign up for the mailing list here.

Jake Kahana is a cofounder of Caveday. Sign up for his personal emails, called “The Email Refrigerator” here.