Here are five simple rules that will help you maintain and grow motivation.
1. Choose a reward that is consistent with your purpose
If your goal is to lose weight, do not celebrate a couple of lost pounds of high-calorie ice cream. And if you strive to become a millionaire, then do not reward yourself for the 100 thousand earned by a big waste.
A hearty dinner can undo the benefits of a fruitful workout, and investing in a pricey smartphone can drastically lower the amount of money saved.
But it's not only that. By rewarding yourself with what is contrary to your goal, you are instilling a bad habit in yourself. Once you get tired of working hard, the urge to eat or buy something will take over. This kind of motivation doesn't work in the long run.
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2. Don't substitute a reward for a goal
Psychologist and writer Alfie Cohn, in his book Punishment by Reward, wrote " state chapter from the book “Punishment by reward. What's wrong with school grades, incentive systems, praise, and other bribes "that thoughts of reward are distracting. We view the challenge as an obstacle to receiving the award, rather than striving for outstanding results.
Remember, rewards are there to celebrate success and remind yourself that you can do it. The real objective is to lose the same 10 kg and earn a million rubles.
3. Cheer yourself up every step of the way.
You probably already know what to expect when you accomplish your major objective. But it’s just as important to think about smaller rewards that will delight you every day. Here are some examples of nice little things:
- Finish every half hour of work with five minutes of rest.
- Read a book or watch a movie in the evening to relax a little.
- Buy a houseplant and place it on your desk. It will remind you that you recently completed a serious part of the case.
- Treat yourself to a useful little thing. For example, you may find it more pleasant to sit down at your computer again if you have new headphones or go to the gym wearing new sneakers.
- Take a day off at the end of the week and do whatever you sacrifice to work on weekdays.
Just remember that the reward should be commensurate with the task accomplished. Leave serious rewards for big goals. For an hour and a half of work, you hardly deserve to watch a two-hour movie, but a coffee break is okay.
4. Don't put off the promotion until later.
Imagine that you taught your dog a difficult command but only gave the bone a few days later. It is unlikely that you will fix the result. Even a token reward received on time will help keep you motivated.
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5. Remember: knowing the reward is just as important as receiving it.
In moments like this, tell yourself what work you did, what skills you used to do it, and how it brought you closer to your big goal. This is a good exercise for building self-esteem. Sometimes we need a voice that says that we are great and can cope with new challenges. And we can provide such support to ourselves.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
