Speaking of reward systems, let’s start like this:
If you’ve ever spent time around kids, you know how motivated they can be when you promise to reward them with their favourite toy or game set if they pass their exams or win a competition.
As an adult, you can model this system to increase motivation and in turn, boost your productivity.
This act has been in existence for a very long time now, and it’s popularly known as the reward system.
Heads up; Some scientific grammar here:
Reward Systems are a group of structures that are activated when we experience a pleasurable moment such as abusing drugs, having sex, or eating sweets.
This rewarding stimulus causes the brain to respond by releasing more neurotransmitters dopamine.
Most of the structures that make up the reward system are located along the major dopamine pathways in the brain.
Translation: When you enjoy something, your brain stores the activity as rewarding and something that you should do over and over again.
The disadvantage though, is that you could become addicted to bad habits that are pleasurable.
On the other hand, using incentives to build reward systems in the workplace is the easiest way to promote repetitive behaviour, and consistency in activities that have to be done repeatedly.
Reward Systems
The Reward system is a motivation mechanism that stimulates people to behave in a certain way or to build a certain habit.
Reward systems are commonly used in the business world.
Affiliates and salespeople work to get a commission, workers receive salaries, customers receive discounts, businesses practice customer appreciation.
All of these have one thing in common: appreciation for a job well done.
These systems have been set in place to motivate these people to do better at their jobs.
However, as a self-employed entrepreneur who works from home and makes the rules, it’s easy to lose enthusiasm to carry out certain tasks consistently for a long time.
Forming habits is not easy.
The author of Atomic Habits – James Clear says it takes 21 days and above for a habit to stick.
The best or easiest way to ensure consistency for this period is to:
- Build self-discipline,
- Set goals, and
- Have reward systems set in place for when you reach the goal before the set deadline.
As easy and as exciting as this sounds, a lot of entrepreneurs tend to ignore or overlook the idea of setting up reward systems for themselves because the concept seems unfamiliar.
This can make the work process of an entrepreneur seem harder than it already is.
Reward systems improve your discipline levels and make you more prone to being consistent with tasks that might otherwise seem monotonous.
In case you don’t know how exactly to reward yourself for a day, a week, or a month well spent in the gym, at work, or at improving with a certain habit,
Here is a list of five things you can do to celebrate your little wins as you go:
(Take a little moment to tweet this)
Ideas For Setting Up Reward Systems
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RELAX.
Relaxation is easier said than done for most entrepreneurs, especially for workaholics who may want to make sure that every of their free time should be spent doing something productive.
If this is you, then you need to learn to set boundaries by writing a list of tasks you need to carry out daily or weekly.
Once you’re done with everything on your list, you can enjoy yourself by doing as you please with the rest of the time you have left.
Do this without adding any extra work to your schedule.
You should make out time to relax each day or each week because you deserve it.
Go on walks, listen to music, watch a movie, hang out with friends or family, take a day off, go shopping, read fiction, go to a spa, etc.
Just make sure you’re immersing yourself in any activity that feels most relaxing for you.
2. Make Gratitude lists & Wish Collections.
Make a list of things you have achieved in the past week or month and be grateful for how far you’ve come.
Also, create a picture collection on your phone or laptop of things you would love to get for yourself and places you would love to visit in your lifetime.
The thought of these things could make you feel happy and relaxed.
Be careful though; you don’t want the thought of the things you want to make you less grateful for what you have achieved or what you possess right now.
3. Give Gifts To Yourself and Others.
Promising to treat yourself to a worthwhile experience or getting yourself your favorite thing as a gift for crushing your goals,
can make you motivated to reach the finish line and enter a new phase of your journey to success.
Similarly, getting a gift for a friend or a loved one or even a stranger can make you feel good about yourself.
PS: it doesn’t have to be expensive.
People appreciate random gifts not because of the money spent on them, but because of the thoughtful gesture of the simple act.
4. Spend Less Time On Screens and More Time in Nature.
Taking the weekends off social media is self-care too.
With your time off, you can go out to explore new places alone, with family or friends.
You can simply hang out at your favorite place to relax too!
This can leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on challenges in a new week.
If you have a thing for sports; hitchhiking, swimming, skydiving, or any other kind of sport is a satisfactory way to spend your weekend as well.
This is a short list with countless opportunities for you to build reward systems out of!
All you need to do is to be creative with it and have the best time of your life while you’re at it!
PS: Always make plans ahead for any reward you intend to give yourself.
Anticipating this reward keeps you motivated to get work done before the deadlines you set for yourself.
Budgeting for a reward system also ensures that you don’t break the bank while trying to have fun.
Always remember that you deserve the very best for working so hard.
So,
How do you know when to give yourself a gift, and what to do when you’re not deserving of a gift?
How Do You Balance REWARD SYSTEMS?
Setting goals should be how you measure your productivity and decide if you reward yourself or not.
For example, if you don’t achieve at least 70 to 80% of the goals you set for a week, withdrawing your reward can also improve the essence of a reward system.
Doing this would make you want to do better in the coming week so that you don’t miss out on your reward.
This is why you should always make sure that your reward system includes something that you enjoy doing.
Don’t forget to try new things too, you just might find a new favourite!
If you didn’t reach your goal, and didn’t deserve any rewards after a period,
learn to forgive yourself quickly and look for ways to improve subsequently.
It’s okay to not meet deadlines sometimes.
You should also make sure these deadlines are realistic, to avoid setting yourself up for a tough time.
Is there a way you love to unwind and relax that isn’t mentioned here? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section!
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This is inspiring. Reward systems are important but, knowing how to balance them is very much important.
When, what and how to reward oneself helps in productivity and financial moderation.