Why It is Good to Reward Ourselves?
Once you have made it to the finish line in completing a major tasks or accomplishing a short term goal, it is a huge positive to give yourself a pat on the back and reward yourself. This will keep your spirits high in the longer run and keep you driven for more!
We must make the reward appropriate in consideration with how much it has impacted you and how great the goal was. Sometimes a smaller reward does go a lot further than a bigger reward because then our brains will only have motivation with these big rewards when we accomplish a similar goal.
Small Rewards are Satisfying
The smaller rewards are sometimes more satisfying then the big ones anyways. This gives us just the same feeling of appreciation and accomplishment without the back fire of a big reward and our expectations of one in the future. Almost like how a spoiled rich kid can become.
When I was in my earlier twenties as a salesman, day after day I would make great sales and a nice pay check with it. I would have to work long hours and by the end of the night or week my only reward was a small bag of chips. This made me ecstatic to get my $1 chips. For one, being able to get what I wanted was great enough and just the reward was more than enough.
The appreciation of the reward goes a lot further than what it is. So you can apply this theory to whatever you are doing with small things such as a coffee break, taking a walk, having a cheat meal like myself, taking a nap, going on a small vacation, watching a movie and so on...
Save the Big Rewards
Remember there is still a lot to reward yourself with because you have your long term goals to accomplish. This will keep you hungry and driven for more, to motivate yourself, push harder and complete your long term goals faster.
If we reward ourselves with amazing things life will get too comfortable. You may feel like things are wonderful already but this will put you in a vulnerable position and possibly not drive for your ambitious goals. Do not put yourself into a comfort zone when you are not self disciplined enough to continue on your goals no matter what.
The accomplishment of your goals should be the real reward with anything you do. This will keep you from just being a reward junkie and not a self determined individual that has aspirations they want to attain. Whatever you do should be a drop in the bucket also, it should not effect you financially whatsoever.
Nevertheless, rewarding yourself gives you something to anticipate when you reach the goal and aim for higher goals the next time to continue to reward yourself. Even if the reward is a ribbon, it makes a big difference to your moral to feel accomplished and have the motivation to tackle the next big goal.
@bitdollar
My recent trip to Guatemala
I have a problem from preventing me taking the reward when I fail to do my short therm tasks, but only when it is a small reward. It is just too attractive not to take the reward when it is small. For example eating a piece of a cake which I bought few hours before.
Should I choose the reward before starting the task or just before finishing it?
Hmmm for smaller goals I would choose the reward after, as these tasks should be easier to complete. A big goal I would choose the reward maybe before to give you the extra motivation.
I never think of it like that but it is a good advice. I am used to work very hard, so even a fair cup of coffee is a great reward after it is done.
Yea I agree
Small rewards are a good way to keep us motivated and encouraged. We get a sense of accomplishment when reaching smaller goals. I like that you have mentioned our comfort zone, there really is not anything interesting there.
Thank you for sharing this educational post with us 💚
Yes I can agree about that! Thanks @zen-art! :D
Hmmmm very interesting post. It made me realize I have never thought to reward or to set a reward if I complete a task or goal but I am more then ready to reward my children, grandchildren, staff even my dog if they get a good report card, clean their room, met a deadline or not going pee pee indoors( that's the dog not my grandchildren...teehee). Great post.......appreciated.
Don't forget about yourself @donnab! The stronger you are the more you can help others...
You are right on both accounts, @bitdollar! It is good to reward yourself when you have accomplished a goal. It is also good not to reward yourself too generously or too often.
I have done some really challenging indoor rowing competitions for nothing more that the sense of completion, and a pin.
I've kept on going through the miles of a marathon with the thought of the food reward at the finish line.
In both situations, finishing the goal was important to me, but the reward at the end is what kept me going through the difficult spots.
I've upvoted and resteemed this article as one of my daily post promotions for the @mitneb Curation Trail Project. It will be featured in the @mitneb Curation Trail Project Daily Report for 22 FEB 2018.
Cheers!
That is a perfect example! Thanks so much for sharing this @mitneb!
That is so true, if u place a target or a goal rewarding yourself will boost your morale and make u want to do more. Just like when I was a kid my dad always made promises to us so we can Excel in school. Rewarding yourself should be like 3% of your work. If you over reward yourself you will lose and you will feel lazy.
Yes so true! I learned a great deal about that this year. Rewarding yourself too much is a problem and many do this, they reward themselves highly for very little achievement.
Thanks for sharing @tutufaith!!
This is a nice post. Rewarding oneself is good but over doing it or rewarding yourself everytime is not helping. Why even reward yourself to reach your goal, when you do it is your goal not mine. So I don't even see rewarding oneself is necessary.
Yes so true, it hurts yourself to reward too much and sometimes people will always reward even with the accomplishment. This demotivates you in life. As mentioned you can reward your such with just simple things, even a made up trophy. :D
Hard work,success,self-confidence,courage are some qualities which are far better than reward...
Waiting for next friend.
I agree @princepr!
Thanks a lot...
Can we be friends sir.........
Feels better when rewarded from others though.. hmmm i should get my friends to agree to buy me a drink whenever I finish a small project!
That would be awesome! :D
Steemit is all about rewards! Even if they are not always money. The joy of reading excellent articles as this one and interact with amazing people as you are a reward on itself.
Yes and that is what gives us some incentive to keep pushing more and more. :D