Let’s not make this post about arguing for any intrinsic value for Seinfeld as a sitcom, because that torch gets taken up too regularly. It’s hard to believe a GA/TA could learn anything revolutionary about teaching and learning from the television show that dedicated an entire episode to waiting for a table at a busy restaurant (though “patience is a virtue” is true in any role). So, what can GAs/TAs learn from Seinfeld?

Maybe a lot, if we’re talking about Jerry Seinfeld the actor. Last month James Clear wrote about the “Seinfeld Strategy” for entrepreneur.com, analyzing Brad Isaac’s interview with the famous comedian in an effort to pinpoint the root of Seinfeld’s success (because, you know, he’s a bazzillionaire). Interestingly, the advice that Clear compiles is applicable to just about everyone looking to succeed: stop procrastinating, build on a chain of small actions, and realize that “mastery follows consistency”.

Stop Procrastinating

One of the best ways to make sure you’re using what little time you have as a busy GA/TA wisely is to build a calendar and stick to it. Especially when so much of your day-to-day life is self-directed, developing a regular routine will bring more consistency to your life and more consistency to your work in turn. Clear notes that the important thing is to never break this pattern or “chain”, even when a tough day at the office gets you down.

Build a Chain of Small Actions

The links in said chain don’t have to be monumental tasks; in fact, part of Seinfeld’s self-professed success comes from the fact that he focused on performing small tasks that were simple to maintain day-to-day. Rather than focus on cramming all that grading or reading into a weekend, why not devote one hour per day, every day to “Marking/Reading Time”? What ever task you devote yourself to each day should be small but meaningful (i.e, reading an article per day about a topic in your discipline, rather than an article per day in the newspaper).

Mastery Follows Consistency

Becoming really good at something doesn’t happen over night, as you’ve probably been told a million times. The point here is that the more commonplace something becomes in your life, the more likely you’ll become an expert at it. What does consistency look like in the classroom? Be consistent in the way you manage class time. Be consistent in the way you treat students. Be consistent in the way you mark assignments. Get the picture?

Read more from James Clear at http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231023?cam=mktinit&src=taboola&ctp=article