2 min read
Yes.. you read that correctly.
At Builder Funnel, we like to set goals. We like to set goals and then crush them. Apart from the goals we set for our clients, or our company's goals, (like launching podcasts, creating video, launching a new website, the list goes on.. ) we also take the time to address personal goals and hold each other accountable during the week. Each month, we all set an individual goal and stick with it by slacking one another ‘Red X’s’ each morning, denoting that we accomplished our goal the previous day.
What’s fun about the aptly named ‘Red X’ is that everyone's goals are different. Personal goals are just that - personal! Someone’s goal may be taking time out of their day to meditate, or journal. Someone’s goal may be to hit the gym 3x a week or stretch every day. Or, if you’re like me, eating your vegetables.
What About Seinfeld?
I’m fairly certain we stole this concept from the one and only Jerry Seinfeld. After doing some research about ‘Red X’, I came across this article from Lifehacker, where Jerry tells their reporter Brad Issac about his goal-setting mindset when it came to being a better comedian and writing better jokes in the 1990's:
“He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker."
He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days, you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."
"Don't break the chain," he said again for emphasis.”
Who Keeps Us Accountable?
Luckily, we’ve got our perpetual cheerleader Danielle, the spearhead of Red X’ing, who makes sure the rest of us aren’t slacking when it comes to our daily goals. Since Danielle lives in Germany, this usually happens early in the morning our time, perfect for setting the tone for the day ahead.
The theory behind Red X is that these small daily rituals build habits over time, and small improvements or tweaks to our habits are compounded over time. And since everyone’s goal is their own, it benefits each one of us in a different way. We don’t necessarily have to compare ourselves to one another as this is a personal goal. But by keeping track every day, we not only make ourselves better marketers but better humans. Plus, some of us are even eating our vegetables.
