Many lawyers search for the secret that will launch them into instant success and a highly profitable law firm. These lawyers jump around from one marketing gimmick to the next, or a trendy case management software, in a continual search for the one thing that will lead to a thriving law firm. No one told these lawyers (or they weren’t listening) that the magic, fairy dust doesn’t exist.
But there is a secret to success, and it doesn’t involve a marketing gimmick or a trendy software for case management. This one thing is done by very few lawyers, but for those who do, it almost always brings long-term success. It is simply this: CONSISTENCY IN A SINGLE DAILY ACTIVITY. Specifically, doing small activities EVERY DAY that will make a profound influence on your career and personal life.
The concepts are derived from the amazing book, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions that Create Life-Changing Results”, co-authored by Jeffery J. Downs a practice leader of FranklinCovey and a consultant for leading Fortune 500 companies.
The Secret to Changing Your Life and Career
The basic premise is that excellence—in professional or personal pursuits—is determined by one thing: CONSISTENCY. The elite performers, e.g., Warren Buffett, do remarkably simple activities, but are highly consistent and do not deviate from them, not even for a single day. Without question, consistency is the hallmark of highly successful people.
Comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, will tell you that the key to his success was writing at least one joke every day. Writing a single joke only took a few minutes a day, but with time and patience, Seinfeld had thousands of jokes. Author and thought leader, Seth Godin, has written a blog post every day for over 11 years. Hall of Fame shortstop, Cal Ripken, played in every game (2,632 games) for over 16 years. The results of their consistency are mind-boggling.
Jeffery J. Downs & Jami L. Downs, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions that Create Life-Changing Results”
What do you need to do—if you did it every day—would make the biggest impact on your professional and personal life? The activity might take 5-10 minutes (or less), but over time, the cumulative impact of doing the activity EVERY DAY will profoundly impact your career and life. Simply put, there is nothing that will influence your long-term success—as a lawyer and person—than streaking.
How to Change Your Career and Life by Streaking
Streaking can be done in 3 simple steps:
Step #1: Identify a Laughably Simple Activity
Pick an activity that is “laughably simple” to do. The activity is so simple that you would be crazy not to do it. This activity will, over time, have a profound impact on your professional or personal life. It is amazing what you can achieve when you do one “laughably simple” activity every day.
- If you want better fitness, commit to jogging at least 1 mile every day.
- If you want to write a book, commit to writing at least 1 sentence every day.
- If you want to strengthen your referral relationship, commit to sending at least one handwritten note a day to them.
- If you want to get more Google reviews for your law firm, commit to requesting at least 1 Google review on a daily basis.
- If you want to improve your marriage, commit to saying 1 nice thing to your spouse at least once a day.
- If you want to learn a foreign language, commit to learn a new word or phrase at least once a day.
- If you want a stronger relationship with your college-aged son, commit to calling him at least once a day.
There’s no limit to what you can achieve when you’re streaking. Notice the inclusion of the words “at least” in each activity. You are free to do more, if you choose, but at a bare minimum, you will do “at least” what you say you will do. You may want to jog 2-3 miles, but every day, you will jog at least 1 mile.
Step #2: Document Your Streak in a Journal
The record/journal is the physical manifestation of your streak. Every day, document what you’ve done and tally the results of your streak, e.g., “Day #28 of Streak, Total Distance Jogged 102.30 miles”. Over time, you can reflect back by reviewing your journal and appreciate how far you’ve gone.
“Without a record, you don’t have a streak.”
Jeffery J. Downs & Jami L. Downs, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions that Create Life-Changing Results”
If you miss a day and break your streak, you can begin a new streak. But ideally, you will keep the streak going at all costs.
Step #3: Share Your Success/Results in a Streaking Community
Don’t do this alone—that is a recipe for failure. Join a community of like-minded streakers and share your results on a daily basis. The community of streakers will encourage and inspire you when you don’t want to keep going.
“It’s rare for streaks to exist outside community.”
Jeffery J. Downs & Jami L. Downs, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions that Create Life-Changing Results”
Share your journal entries with your streaking community. Tally the results for your fellow streakers and take some pride in your results. You are on your way to great things.
Why Streaking Works
The biggest problem that you face is just getting started. You know you should exercise more or call your son more often, but you’re busy and somehow things always seem to get in the way. It’s as though life is conspiring against your most important priorities.
That’s why making your activity “laughably simple” is crucial. The activity should not be difficult to do because if it is challenging, your streak won’t last. You’re free to challenge yourself to achieve more, but your streak must be based on an activity that you would be crazy not to do.
“The success of keeping the streak alive will pay massive compound interest.”
Jeffery J. Downs & Jami L. Downs, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions that Create Life-Changing Results”
Once your streak builds momentum, you will find a groove and want to keep it going at all costs. Authors, Jeffery J. Downs and his wife, Jami L. Downs, have jogged at least 1 mile every day (they take Sundays off) for over 9 years and the results? Excellent fitness and health and a stronger marriage. The impact at first might not seem like much, but over time, the cumulative results of streaking are awesome.
The Powerful Impact of Streaking
Streaking can be an activity that you do daily, weekly or monthly.
Monthly: Our firm has sent a print newsletter, Lawyer Alert, to our referral partners every month for over 10 years. The monthly print newsletters are ideal for staying top of mind with your referral partners. The results? Our firm increased the number of our referral partners from 124 to 455. That, my friend, is the power of a conscious, deliberate action done every month.
Daily: For the past 28 days, I’ve jogged at least 1 mile. It might not seem much to jog as little as 1-2 miles on most days, but over the course of 28 days, I’ve jogged 102 miles.
Over the past 3 months and 22 days, I’ve documented my food consumption and exercise on a daily basis with MyBodyTutor.com (highly recommended!). Based upon this conscious and intentional action, my body weight has been reduced from 193.6 lbs. to 180.4 lbs. (13.2 lbs. and counting!)
It might not seem like much when you’re streaking, but when you tally the results, you appreciate the pretty incredible results of streaking.
The Power of a “Be Statement”
To go one step further, create an affirmative statement of who you want to be and write this statement in your journal every day. This affirmative “be statement” of your identity will help you become the person you are striving to become.
“A simple statement of affirmation about who you want to be, noted daily, will positively change your life.”
Jeffery J. Downs & Jami L. Downs, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions that Create Life-Changing Results”
The affirmative identity statement is a statement of aspiration of who you want to become, e.g., “I want to be a marathon runner” or “I want to be the lawyer with the most Google reviews in New York”. By writing the affirmative “be statement” every day in your streaking journal, you will continually reinforce your identity.
How to Begin Streaking
Just start streaking today. Do the one thing that will make a profound influence on your life or career. Document your streak in a journal and you’re streaking, baby!
Read Jeffery J. Downs’s and Jami L. Downs’s book, “Streaking: The Simple Practice of Conscious, Consistent Actions That Create Life-Changing Results”—it is a quick read and can have a powerful impact for you. Jeff and Jami also have a podcast, “Streaking” (StreakingMastery.com/podcast) and a free app, “StreakingMastery.com”.
Don’t streak alone. We have a small community of like-minded streakers in a private Facebook group (“The Streakers”). Why not join the fun? Send an email to jfisherlawyer@gmail.com with the subject line, “I want to streak”, and I will be happy to add you to our streaking community.
Streaking Puts Time on Your Side
When you streak, time is on your side because your results build over time into something amazing. When you are streaking, time is working for you, not against you.
You can accomplish your wildest goals in life and your career if you begin streaking. Months, and maybe years after you begin your streak, you will look back and marvel at how far you’ve gone. Streaking is how elite performers succeed at life and business, and there’s no reason you can’t streak with them.
