Jerry Seinfeld, Productivity Guru
No One Liked the New 52
To my wife’s chagrin, there’s been several times, on evening walks, where I’ve explained to her the whole DC comics multiverse. See, there was Flash and then the original Flash and Earth Two, and what seemed simple became convoluted. Then there was an “event” (this was before personal computers/DOS, so no one knew what at a “re-boot” was), and DC has but one universe for Superman and his super-friends. Anyway, yada yada, DC later, re-boot, the New 52, but no one liked the New 52 and DC has since re-booted again and I think again at least once after that, but I stopped paying attention. I say this all, because I said on January 2, 2024 that in this new year I would put up a blog post weekly. 52 posts.
By January 18, 2024, I was promising my own New 52, a re-boot and re-commitment to weekly blogging. I can now say, on May 6, 2024, that like DC comic book readers, I didn’t like my New 52.
Jerry Seinfeld is a funny guy. His ease with jokes was apparent in his appearance on the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale. He is also a productivity guru. You can google Jerry Seinfeld “break the chain” and find many articles. My first search result, from James Clear, the habits guy, does an excellent job of explaining Seinfeld’s secret of writing a joke a day and the value of doing it daily; and, I should add, boldly mark each daily success on a calendar. The secret sauce of the system is to be enthralled by the array of X’s that you do not want to stop. Mr. Clear, being a productivity guru, not only explains why Seinfeld is also renowned for productivity strategies and tactics, but he provides good advice on using Seinfeld’s system. I want to be a productivity guru too. If only I could re-kindle my blogging streak.
This is not the first time I have noted on my blog that I want to be a productivity guru. I said back in 2019 that I dreamed of being a productivity guru. I want to be a productivity guru because I know a lot about productivity. Like I knew that Jerry Seinfeld is notable for more than just being funny. I can compare and contrast all sorts of systems and methods.
There is only one thing holding me back from being a productivity guru.
In detailing the Seinfeld Method, James Clear notes, “one caveat with the Seinfeld Strategy. You need to pick a task that is meaningful enough to make a difference, but simple enough that you can get it done.” Clearly, no pun intended, writing a blog post per week was not something simple enough to get done. Listen, last time I offered myself as a productivity guru, I said:
Goals should not be easy. Ten blog posts in ten days is not easy. Not easy because it is not easy (as I have learned) to come up with an idea a day, and it is especially not easy to scare up the 90 or so minutes out of most any of my days that it would take to write a blog post. It is doable, both in the sense that it is not all that hard to find 90 minutes extra each day, and when in need of an idea, there’s always that summary post, and it’s all within my control.
If writing a blog post a day was possible yet trying, should not a blog post a week be doable yet challenging. Yes. I can run off a list quite long on what I am doing instead of putting up a blog a week. That does not matter. If you come to me and say dig up all these hidden assets by tomorrow, no problem. Just sent out an invoice with 16 hours’ worth of work that was about half of what they budgeted. Finding vital information, I’m keyed in. It’s when I’m off the clock I dawdle. I am a master at non-productivity.
I am both expert and efficient at Wordle and Connections and beating my kids’ time at the Mini. I am Insta and TikTok. I can do anything except what I should do. Another thing James Clear noted in his explainer on the Seinfeld method, “reading a fitness book each day is simple, but it won’t actually get you in better shape.” Oh, did that hurt. I’ve read a lot of books on productivity. I know a lot about being productive. I just find it exceedingly difficult to be productive.
You come here to learn to be an open-source researcher. To peak behind the vital information curtain. Just the other day I sent out an email giving advice to someone on how he could DIY an asset search. I said, I have no secrets. I have nothing to hide here. If I practiced as much productivity as I know about productivity, this particular blog post would be about gathering intelligence, searching online, or this wine guy. Instead, it is about getting things done.
I swear I’ll have another post up next week. I will, by any means, figure out how to avoid distractions, stay focused, hone my knives, get laser targeted, system built, mis-a-place. It will work. Not breaking the chain. Because I know what to do, and I will be noted as a productivity guru.