I'm STREAKING!
With love to Frank the Tank & Duolingo
Whether you listen to the VoiceOver for accessibility, because you’re more of an auditory learner or so you can grab some movement while we’re together—it will consistently be an option.
I’m a woman who believes all of life’s riddles are answered in the movies-— to, uh, quote a movie.
As a result, for the past 20 years I will never *not* think of Frank the Tank (and his nice little saturday…) when I hear the word streaking:
Frank : [out of breath] We're... We're going streaking! We're going up the quad and to the gymnasium.
I’ve seen a lot of streaking in my life—and not the fun kind #SadTrombone.
I’ve written online since 2006.
Back when we referred to blogs as live journals and streaking by individualized monikers like blog carnivals or I’ve not skipped a day of posting in years—even on holidays!
Admittedly, that second one is a bit cumbersome, but it was also the most important. We didn’t refer to it as streaking (yet!), however, with hindsight it fits nicely into the concept of a series of the same activity repeated through grit (my addition) in an uninterrupted fashion.
As online writing transitioned to blogging, different niches were born. Given my background, I found myself happily nestled between the fitness world and the mindset/personal development realm.
I cheered on streaks in both verticals from 30 days of running to 90 days of journaling to the mother of all streaks NaNoWriMo.
GAMIFICATION FOR THE WIN?
“Gamification is the craft of deriving fun and engaging elements…and applying them to productive activities.”
― Yu-kai Chou
Gamification is everywhere.
It’s in Apple watches and responsible for our obsession with activity streaks and for dragging your exhausted partner on a long walk so you can close the rings (I wasn’t having fun, were they? I think not).
Would our resolutions last longer as Fast Company asserts if we gamified them?
I agree and disagree.
Yes, I think they’d last longer than the current statistics of 23% of us quitting by the end of the first week of January and 43% by the end of the month. The grind of the game and the implied shame if we quit just might even keep us going through the short month of February.
Do I know, as a result of my 18 years spent proselytizing and teaching the Power of Consistency, that consistency trumps streaking every. damn. time.?
I do. Yes, I absolutely do.
Here’s why.
While streaks serve to gamify the goal activity by creating rules and quantifying the outcome, they erroneously assume all of us love a game.
Additionally, are we creating consistent, life-changing forever and ever habits through this gamification?
I contend we are not.
Consistency is better than streaking. Hear me out…
Resilience
Consistent habits build resilience by allowing room for setbacks without derailing progress. Streaks, on the other hand, often falter after a single missed day and/or fail to get off the ground.
When we plan to launch a streak - to go, for example, from not doing something consistently to doing it daily - our launch day feels as though it must be perfect. As a result, or more aptly put as I’ve coached people through, it becomes I’ll start______ (meditating, journaling, lifting weights, walking, etc) TOMORROW.
Streaking, by virtue of its definition, sparks us to believe when we miss a day because life intervenes our streak is irreparably broken.
Cognitive Automation
Consistency fosters cognitive automation making activities/habits second nature. This blissful automation reduces mental effort required, making it more likely for the habit we desire to stick.
Streaking implies there’s an end date/time when this cognitive automation ceases to exist.
Incremental Progress
Consistency of habit facilitates incremental progress gradually moving us toward success (however we choose to define the word). Streaks may create intense and attention-grabbing bursts yet they can lack the sustainable notion of slow improvement over time.
Streaks are rewarded bursts of intensity and, as with all bursts of anything, that energy cannot be maintained for a lifetime.
Lifestyle Integration
Consistent habits seamlessly integrate into our lifestyle, creating a stable foundation for success. This integration contrasts with streaks, which often disrupt routine when they begin and when they end.
No matter how much we plan—life intervenes and derails us. This is when streaking typically ends and consistency quietly comes in and takes over.
Sustainability
Consistent habits are sustainable in the long run. Full stop #AsTheKidsNeverSaid
I’ve taken an intentional walk every day for the past 10+ years. This consistent habit integrates pretty effortlessly into my routine which reduces the likelihood of burnout or quitting due to the stress of finding/creating time.
Streaks work in their creation of short-term motivation yet offer structured unsustainability in their intensity. This fragility sets streaks up to not be maintained long-term.
Behavioral Change
Consistency fortifies behavioral change by gradually shaping habits and reinforcing neural pathways in the brain associated with a new habit. Unlike streaking, consistent repetition over time strengthens the habit loop which makes behavioral change LESS reliant on conscious effort.
Consistent behavior signals to our brain a habit is important. This signal triggers long-term habit formation through neuroplasticity.
While the allure of streaks is enticing (as are the badges they often offer for us to share) the foundation of lasting change lies in a steadfast commitment to consistency.
When we tap into the power of steady progress over sporadic streaks and combine it with a framework which allows us to falter and regain momentum—we are empowered to build habits that last.
I invite you to join us in focusing on the drumbeat of consistency and celebrating it as the true catalyst for lasting change.