When you become a parent, or if you’re already a parent, you know that reward systems really work to help change the behavior of a child, and that A Job Done is Worth a Reward. In fact, studies show that rewards win out against punishment for most children in terms of successfully changing a child’s behavior.
Guess what? The idea of rewards for a job done works for adults too, and what’s more, rewards don’t have to be something someone else sets up. You can set up a reward system for yourself that motivates you and helps you get more done every single day.
Not only is a reward system fun, but it really works. To get started, you’ll want to follow these steps.
- Set Your Goals
- Set Up the Time Period Between Rewards
- Choose the Rewards in Advance
- Celebrate Receiving Your Rewards
- Keep Doing It
Set Your Goals
The very first thing you have to know is what your goals are and what signifies ‘done’ for the sake of the rewards. State your goals and specifically spell out what constitutes done for the purpose of the prize. Learn about how to set SMART goals to ensure you get this part right.
Determine How Often You’ll Reward Yourself
You can set up as many rewards as you want to. For example, if you get up in the morning and do your 20-minute fast walk before your coffee as planned, you can choose a reward such as getting to spend a few minutes doing something you genuinely enjoy, like spending some downtime reading a good book.
Choose the Rewards in Advance
As you set up your reward system, you’ll want to know exactly what the reward will be for each activity you’re going to reward yourself for. There is no right or wrong reward as long as the reward motivates you and does not roadblock you. For example, don’t reward yourself with something dangerous or unhealthy. Set up some small ones for each day and some bigger ones for longer-term goals.
Celebrate Receiving Your Reward
There is more to the reward than the thing itself. It’s also the idea that you finished, which should also feel significant to you. When you meet a goal, it feels good by itself too, so spend some time being happy and thankful about that without the reward but then go ahead and brag to yourself about the fun or the experience of the reward.
Finally, don’t give up. Keep going. Don’t try it for just a month and then give up. Try your system out for at least a year to find out if it really works for you or not.
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AT IS SELF LOVE–AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR CREATIVE WOMEN?
Being a businesswoman isn’t just about being “good at” or “smart about” business.
It’s also about being able to handle your business – and life – and not let the speed bumps you encounter permanently affect you, your business or your idea of who you are.
Because TBH? On the path to running a successful online empire, you’ll encounter lots of snags, slip-ups, hiccups and moments where you’ll want to give up.
That’s where self love comes in.
We get that creative women in particular can be ridiculously hard on themselves.
Have you ever poured your heart into a social media post that literally no one commented on–and assumed it was because your ideas were bad or stupid?
Or helmed a launch that didn’t quite turn out the way you’d planned it in your pretty Day Designer–because clearly you’re just not “cut out for” this?
Yep–we’ve all been there.
The good news? The more you truly love yourself, the better you’ll be able to navigate these tricky (and unavoidable) situations–and the faster you’ll be able to pick yourself up, dust off your Lululemons & get back to doing the good work you do in the world.
No matter what’s going on “on the outside” – whether it’s a client who refuses to pay on time or a program launch that totally flops – real self love will help you navigate anything our crazy world throws your way with (way) more ease, grace and resilience.
Bonus? When you learn to love yourself, you’ll also have more love to extend to others – including your friends, family and–of course–lovely paying clients.
