Rewarding Yourself for Getting Things Done (and on Time)

publication date: May 12, 2009
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author/source: Tristan Loo
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By Tristan Loo

reward yourself tristan loo self improvement association

Any job, task, project, or whatever you call your goal-oriented activities, needs to have a tangible reward to go along with it. Think of this as a carrot that’s held in front of a horse to make it move forward. Your rewards are the motivating force behind your goal-oriented activities and we’ll discuss some tips on creating a good reward system.
  1. The reward needs to fit the goal. Your reward needs to be one of comparable size to the activity being done. So in other words, you would probably not reward yourself with a new car for cleaning the house this afternoon. Remember that the more difficult or unpleasant the activity is, the greater the reward should be to motivate you to do it.
  2. Make sure that you want the reward. A reward that has no meaning or significance to your life is useless as a motivational device. Make sure that it’s something that you really want or that contributes in some way to your own personal development.
  3. Your reward needs to be visual and emotional. A vague reward is one that you can’t solidly picture in your mind. If you can’t picture it in your mind, then you can't have intense feelings for that reward. If you can’t have emotions for that reward, then it can’t serve its purpose as being the motivating fuel for you to complete your tasks. Make sure that your reward is something that you can see clearly in your mind and something that you feel strongly about.
  4. Think in terms of psychological rewards, not monetary rewards. Often, we are so used to thinking of rewards in terms of money, or material things, that we forget that a reward is entirely a psychological, pleasure-focused, stimulation that we are trying to achieve. In this respect, that reward does not have to cost a single dime. Simply crossing off items on your to-do list, acts as a psychological reward, giving you the satisfaction of achievement. When designing your rewards, always think in terms of your personal psychological value of that reward, rather than the monetary cost of that reward.
  5. Make sure you establish a reward before you start. There is absolutely NO motivating force behind a reward if you wait till after you finish your project to enjoy it. Actually, this behavior also programs a bad habit in your mind of doing whatever you feel like doing after you complete ANY task, which in turn, causes procrastination and poor productivity. An example of this is if you do a menial task like cleaning up your room and you reward yourself by taking the rest of the weekend to lounge around and do nothing when in fact there are many other activities on your list that need to be completed. By setting a reward before you start, you can ensure that your reward not only serves as a motivating force, but also that it fits the activity being done.
About the Author

Tristan LooTristan Loo is the founder of the Self Improvement Association (SIA) and a leading authority on human potential and personal effectiveness. As a life coach, author and presenter, Tristan has inspired thousands of people all over the world with his passionate message of overcoming adversity and creating the ultimate life that they desire. His vision is a world where everyone is able to achieve their dreams in life. His life is dedicated towards facilitating that dream.

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