I’ve mentioned before that sometimes it takes mind tricks to get you through the tough times when you’re pursuing a goal. My philosophy is to use any type of healthy strategy you need in order to push past the obstacles. . Using rewards is a fantastic motivational strategy I’d like to share with you.Â
Choose Your Rewards
First, you want to choose the rewards you will use as your motivators. Try to pick things that are relevant to your goal and that are meaningful to you. If you have a goal to add $100 a month to your savings account, your reward shouldn’t be something that costs extra money. In this case, you might choose a free or inexpensive activity to do with a friend. If you do decide to spend money on your reward, just make sure that you feel comfortable with the choice. For example, you might decide to buy yourself those running shoes you’ve had your eye on because your old ones are worn and getting tired looking! They make you happy and they are beneficial to your health goals.
Break It Down
Next, you need to decide when to reward yourself. Waiting until you’ve achieved the really big dream to reward yourself defeats the motivational purpose of your bribes!. Breaking down your goals into daily/weekly/monthly tasks that we talked about before, allows you to use mini milestones as a tool to reward yourself in small increments. this way you have incentive that isn’t too far out !
Switch It Up
Make sure you’re flexible enough in your approach that you can add or take away a bribe as the need arises. For example, if you’re truly struggling and feel you could quit any minute, adding a check-in point could push you past that hurdle. Just convince yourself to take one smaller step toward your target, and then you’ll earn your reward. Also, know that sometimes you’ll need to switch up your reward system if it isn’t working for you. Pay attention to your mindset and be flexible to get the most from your reward system!