What do a flower and my Insight Timer data have to do with running naked through a public place? Nothing. I’m not talking about that kind of streaking, although I’ll laugh with you if that’s where your mind went.
No, I’m talking about a different kind of streak, the type that’s often tied to our devices and activities. And the one that’s like catnip for us overachieving felines. Or, well, you get the idea.
For example, I use the Insight Timer meditation app, which I love. Every day when I meditate, I get a circle. Then, when I get ten circles in a row, I get a star. Five yellow stars earn a red star, and five red stars earn a green star.
You can see how long I’ve been using the app above, for six green stars. I would have more if I hadn’t broken my streaks, most recently thirteen days ago. And–true confession–I get so pissed when I miss a day of meditation and break my streak, which, if you think about it, negates the purpose and perceived benefits of using a meditation app.
Trying to achieve streaks ties into the perfectionism part of being an overachiever. Sure, perfectionism can have its occasional benefit (see the procrastination chapter in Better Sleep for the Overachiever), but it also ends up working against us. Whether we’re going for meditation streaks, exercise rings a certain number of days in a row, or, as happens with my clients, consecutive good nights of sleep, stuff happens. Life happens. Occasional rough nights are part of the human experience.
As with almost everything, the problem with streaking comes down to mindset, or, more specifically, how we approach it. That’s where the learning and growth can happen. What keeps me going with this good habit that I can get so many days in a row (hint: routine)? What made me miss that meditation session thirteen days ago and cause my counter to reset? If it was something values-related, can I forgive myself and move on?
So maybe the thing to pay attention to is not how many days we’ve done something in a row, but how we handle it and what we can learn from it when we don’t.
What have you learned from your streaks and when you’ve broken them? Please drop a comment below. Meanwhile, I’ll be working on getting my next eight circles. 🙂