Don't break the chain

I have a very visual way of imagining the passage of time as if it were a continuous line extending forward. When I have a project in hand, I try to make it fit perfectly in its entirety on that line. For this reason, when setting goals or reaching certain goals, I like to apply techniques related to the use of calendars or plannings.

I have recently discovered a very simple technique, although no less useful for that. The technique is called "Don't break the chain" and consists of only 3 steps:

1. Choose a task that you want to start doing consistently. For example, study for 1 hour a day or go for a run for 30 minutes every day..

2. Use a calendar. You must put it in a visible place and mark with an X each day that you have completed your task.

3. The sequence of X forms a chain. Your only mission is not to break this chain. If you skip one day the chain breaks.

Easy right?

As the length of the chain increases, your desire to extend it increases. Every X you add to the chain intensify the grief What would you feel if you break it? As a consequence increase your motivation for continuing it.

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Why does this technique work?

The same action repeated in time ends up becoming a habit. When you internalize a habit, it is easier for you to continue doing it every day. Many times we are not aware of the degree of consolidation that is taking place in our habit.

However, if we place a visible chain somewhere in our home, we can see clearly how is our habit growing. We feel like we are building our habit every day.

I think many people are resistant to success. We start to do something and at the last moment, when we have almost done it, we back down. We break the habit just in the moment before consolidating.

Maybe it's fear of responsibility or change. Unconsciously we sabotage ourselves and we make a multitude of excuses and justifications for having done it. Excuses of the type "I'm wasting my time" "I'm not doing well enough" "I'm not getting anywhere" And a long etcetera.

These excuses get smaller when we visualize the chain. The fears can still be there. However, the extension of the chain shows you that you are striving every day to achieve what you seek. Enough excuses.

Below you have a calendar with all the days of the year. As you can, it is not the typical calendar to use. Here the months are made up of long lines to create your own chains.

And to finish a sentence from the movie "The Dark Knight": The night is darkest just before dawn

Think of sunrise as the consolidation of habit. The moment of greatest darkness is your doubts just before it has been consolidated.