Today, we all have obligations to meet and goals to set, which can leave us feeling stressed out, lethargic and rebellious. If we go too long without rewarding ourselves, we want to give up and eat that whole carton of Ben and Jerry’s, take a sick day from work or throw our latest project in the bin. That’s why it is so important that we always take the time to reward ourselves for a job well done.
Here are some really important reasons why you should give yourself a pat on the back when you do good:
It Increases Motivation
If you give yourself little rewards whenever you complete a project, reach a weight loss milestone or generally do a good job, it’ll make you feel good and that will motivate you to stick to the path, work harder and get even better at your chosen job/activity/healthy eating regime in the future.
It Helps Form Habits
Forming a new habit is almost as hard as breaking one, especially if it’s a habit that is going to take a lot of effort. By incentivising the successful taking up of a new habit (or the dropping if an unhealthy one for that matter), you can train your brain to comply with you and help you do what needs to be done. Planning a treat for every seven days you stick to a habit will really work wonders – just try it!
It Boosts Your Mood
Doing a good job or sticking to your diet will make you feel god, sure, but if you give yourself a reward, you’ll feel so good that nothing will bring you down. The better you feel about your achievements, the more self-esteem you’ll have, and a higher self-esteem often leads to more progress and bigger and better achievements in the future.
If You Don’t, Who Else Will?
Most people are so wrapped up in their own lives, that even if they do notice your achievement, they probably won’t make a big deal out of it, which might leave you feeling a little deflated. So, buy that Frost NYC ring you’ve always wanted or book yourself on a spa day and congratulate yourself for a job well done. You deserve it and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
You’ll Work Harder
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you know it’s not easy, and every day you have to battle with yourself not to eat that cake or skip your session at the gym. But, if you have a reward on the horizon – something you really want that you know you can only have if you shift another five pounds – something changes and, although it still isn’t plain sailing, it becomes much easier to stick to your goals and keep your eyes on the prize.
Affirmation
When you reward yourself, you are giving yourself an affirmation that you are worthy, and you are able to do anything you set your mind to. Of course, you can program your mind to give you positive feedback all the time by either reciting positive affirmations to yourself visiting Etsy.com, where you can buy your own gratitude journal to be written in each day.
It Removes Stress
If you work so hard for so long with little to no reward, stress, and depression are likely to rear their ugly heads and try to take you down. Although rewarding yourself isn’t going to totally prevent them from making an appearance, it will probably help because you’ll be having fun experiences that break up the dullness of working day in day out just to pay the bills and take care of your family.
Hard Work Pays
Sometimes, we get depressed thinking about all the hard work we do, and we begin to wonder about the pointless of it all. When these black days pay us a visit, just looking at the new dress/bike/ring that we rewarded ourselves with after a job well done, reminds us that hard work does pay and there is a point to showing up and doing what needs to be done every day.
A Final Note: Although I honestly think that it is extremely important to reward yourself when you’ve done a. Good job, you need to be careful to keep your rewards appropriate. It will be of no help to you at all if, after a week of diet and exercise, you reward yourself with a trip to the all you can eat Chinese restaurant you love so much! So, reward yourself, but do it mindfully if you want the rewards system to be a success.
About Jammie Morey
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