DAY AFTER DAY. WEEK AFTER WEEK. MONTH AFTER MONTH….
We learned about streaks from studying one of our favorite athletes of all time, Edwin Moses. He won 122 consecutive 400m hurdle races (107 finals and 15 prelims) covering a span of exactly 9 years, 9 months, and 9 days between 1977 and 1987. He won the Olympic gold in world record time in 1976 prior to the start of his streak, and then went on to win a second Olympic gold in 1984 and break his own world record four more times during his amazing streak. Edwin’s winning streak is considered the most impressive streak in track and field and his feat of dominance is typically listed in the top 25 greatest streaks of all time for any sport.
Potential Principle II eloquently highlights the importance of streaks and the power of the momentum they create.
The accelerant of consistent focus and intensity produces the required momentum to push through limits and reach new levels of potential.
Let’s take a moment to breakdown the incredibly powerful concept of momentum. The best example to hit this point home is doubling a penny every day for 30 days (see chart). Notice that during the early days not much is happening, and as of the 20th day, the money is less than $6,000. However, as day 30 approaches, momentum begins to build having a huge impact, and the amount reaches over $5 million on day 30. This is the amazing power of momentum in action and the exponential growth it produces displayed in all its glory. It is imperative to understand that momentum is a function of consistency over time and will take patience…but is well worth the wait.
Streaks are best known for producing momentum. But streaks also generate some pretty impressive byproducts:
- A streak forces you to be disciplined. There is no way around it, you have to prioritize the time, put in the effort, and do the work.
- By definition, a streak is creating a habit. You have to be consistent in your action over a period of time, and when combined with the effects of the myelination process, a very strong habit is formed.
- Streaks also foster confidence. When you stick to a plan and consistently execute on it, you start to believe in the action and yourself which breeds a deeply rooted confidence.
Bottom line, streaks are a magical superpower available to everyone, have a positive impact on many important areas of the mental game, and are an extremely good investment.
There are various types of streaks ranging from consecutive wins to consecutive games played and everything in between. We want to concentrate on consecutive daily mindset workouts, so you can leverage the power of a streak with your mental training. The daily brain train streak is the lifeblood of mindset training and should be prioritized accordingly. It is important to understand that missing a day ends the streak and results in reverse momentum and its byproducts, similar to a rewind button. This can really inhibit your mental game progress and why you should work to keep your streak alive at all costs. However, we recognize taking a mindset day off every once in a while may be necessary. Similarly, a schedule of planned days off such as a weekly or monthly rest day can have its benefits. These scenarios are completely acceptable and are neutral to your momentum and byproducts, similar to a pause button. If you are looking to up the ante and hit the fast forward button on your momentum and its byproducts you can implement two-a-days. DBT two-a-days have a magical effect on your alter ego growth and development.
Answer the chapter question to determine your streak inspiration which will provide you with both the motivation and accountability to keep your streak alive. Streaks are absolutely vital to mastering the mental game so be sure to find an inspiration that truly resonates with you.
Side Note
“I found my streak inspiration in the 5th grade at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Since that time, Edwin Moses has had one of the biggest impacts on my running career and my life. To this day, he motivates me to create streaks and strive to keep them alive. Whenever I begin to struggle with a streak, he is my encouragement to keep going as well as my accountability partner, because I never want to let him down.” – Todd Tressler, Ripkik Founder
Tips
- Take pride in your daily brain train streak and keep it alive at all costs. When you do, it will reward you with the power of momentum.
- If you stumble and fall during your daily brain train streak, get up and keep forging forward, and that one mistake won’t phase the magnitude of your massive momentum. However, the more times you fall, the more reverse momentum will slow down your inertia and negatively affect your mindset progress.
- The sooner you start your brain train streak, the sooner momentum can begin to work its magic.
- If your mental game progress was controlled by a remote, the buttons would be as follows:
- Play: completing the daily brain train.
- Pause: taking a planned day off.
- Rewind: missing a daily brain train.
- Fast Forward: two-a-days.
A daily brain train streak is the best way to level up your mental game. Now that you understand the importance and power of the process, start your streak immediately. But be sure to hold on tight, because as time passes, the momentum you generate will impact the growth of your mindset at an incredible rate and in ways you never thought possible.