Reach Your Goals and Reward Yourself!
When we were kids, we often received rewards for achievements, helping around the house, or behaving well. The rewards usually weren’t expensive, a trip to the park, an ice cream, or our favorite candy, but what they did was make us feel amazing and that we’d achieved something! So why when we’re adults do we not continue to reward ourselves when we achieve? We all work so hard at home and in the office, yet we fail to reward ourselves when things go well!
Rewards Work!
We know what it feels like to look forward to something such as a holiday, and that anticipation can work wonders for our motivation and success! When we start to implement a personal reward system, we being to feel more accomplished, more motivated, and even difficult tasks will become a positive challenge when we know that at the end of our efforts we’ll gain something. A reward system provides us with dopamine, the happy chemical in our brain. If we achieve rewards regularly, then we’re guaranteed to see our energy levels increase!
How to Reward Yourself
Remember that rewards don’t have to be expensive, it can be as simple as a couple of hours in a hot bath with your favorite products, a trip to the beach or a visit to your favorite museum. Of course if you have a budget for something bigger, then go for it, the sky is the limit! The most important rule to remember is that the reward should not block your progress e.g. rewarding with a takeaway after every walk would stop you from benefiting from a healthier lifestyle! The reward should not only motivate you, but also keep you on track to achieve your goals.
Achieve Every Day!
You don’t have to have big goals to benefit from a reward, even small tasks are worthy of celebrating! Just remember to make the reward proportional to the effort that you put in. Making your bed for one morning may not be worthy of an expensive new pair of shoes, but getting up an hour earlier every day for a month could be! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reward yourself for making the bed if this is an achievement for you, you could sleep an extra hour at the weekend for your efforts! Most of all, celebrate every success no matter how big or small, and remember to take some time to appreciate yourself and your achievements!