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Let's pretend that you are a giraffe.
As you're living in the wild:
When you are hungry, you eat.
When you are tired, you sleep.
When you are scared, you run.
There is an immediate impact on your life for every action you take.
However, I assume if you are reading this, you are a human (or a very clever giraffe).
With humans, our actions have a delayed impact on our life.
Work today means a paycheck at the end of the month.
Saving money today means a holiday at the end of the year.
Being healthy today means better health in ten years.
This delay also impacts our rehab with patients:
Our stretching today will help the range of motion two weeks from now.
Our strengthening today will help the muscle be stronger four weeks from now.
Our rehab sessions this week will help the injury feel better six weeks from now.
What to do about it:
Use the "Seinfeld Strategy".
Jerry Seinfeld has a massive calendar on his wall, and he tries to write a joke every single day.
Each day he writes a joke, and he marks it off on the calendar.
His goal isn't to be funny; it is to be consistent.
Let's shift the focus in our patients from outcomes to consistency.
Instead of testing the range of motion every week, track whether they stretch daily.
Instead of testing strength every week, track if they made all the reps and weights prescribed.
Tracking "Did you foam roll every day?" is far more achievable week-on-week than improving flexibility every week.
You can read this article to learn more about the Seinfeld Strategy.
References
James Clear: How to Stop Procrastinating on Your Goals by Using the “Seinfeld Strategy”
Jerry Seinfeld. (2023, May 24). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld
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Written by Kyle van Heerden
Online Educator at Research Raconteur
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