The Importance Of Rewarding Your Success

Rewarding your success provides motivation to stay-on-track and work harder toward goals, while providing a sense of accomplishment.  The next time you set your New Year’s intentions, or any goal, consider rewading yourself with one of these five ideas that support a healthy living lifestyle.

 

 

And just like that, a new year begins.  I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but many people will be setting them this year.  Do you know what the most common New Year’s resolution is?  If you guessed weight loss, you’re right.

January is the one month where gyms across the nation will be filled with new members ready to tackle their goals.  For regular gym participants, it can be frustrating to wait in line for the bicep curl, change workout time just to get a treadmill, and have to arrive 10 minutes early to spin class just to get a bike.  But, it typically doesn’t last long. By February, many New Year’s resolution setters will be gone and the gym will be back to usual.

Why Do New Year’s Resolution’s Fail?

As sad as it is, an overwhelming number of New Year’s resolutions never come to fruition. I can’t speak to all of those failed intensions, but I can speak to healthy living goals. There are a few reasons why goals related to living a healthy lifestyle will fail. They are:

• Setting unrealistic goals
• Not knowing how to obtain the set goal
• Thinking you can do it on your own
• Failing to reward yourself for your achievements

Remember that sticker chart you had as a kid showcasing your weekly achievements?  Or, the gold star that your teacher put on your paper for A+ work.  Kids love getting something for their hard work, but rewarding your success is important as an adult, too.   This year, as you think about how you’ll challenge yourself to be better than the last, remember to set small weekly goals. Then, when you achieve your goal, reward yourself with something that you love. Below are a few examples.

Five Non-Food Rewards To Celebrate Your Success

BUY NEW WORKOUT GEAR

New clothes can make you feel good and get excited about working out.  After a week of staying on track, reward your success with something new to workout in – like a new pair of running socks or a new sports bra.

DOWNLOAD NEW MUSIC

New music can really get you moving and help you to stay motivated and excited about the coming week.  Keep a log of your weekly accomplishment and at the end of the week or month, download a few new songs to add to your playlist.

REWARD YOUSELF WITH A QUICK MASSAGE

After a week of sticking to a workout regimen, reward yourself with some pampering. Many nail salons offer chair massages or you can find one at the mall.  If massage isn’t your, maybe a manicure, pedicure or a simple polish change will do the trick.

BUY A NEW BOOK OR SUBSCRIPTION

If clothes and music are not your thing, maybe you’d like a new book to read. If you nailed your weekly goal, reward yourself with a new cooking magazine, the latest Hollywood gossip magazine or a great nonfiction book.

REWARD YOUSELF WITH MONEY

If money motivates you, then consider paying yourself for your hard work. Maybe you collect $2.00 for every workout you complete, or pay yourself $1.00 for every healthy meal you eat. Little by little that will add up to a lot. Maybe enough to take a small vacation.

Whatever you choose, rewarding your success is important. Do you have a favorite way to rewrd your hard work?  What are your sticker and star equivalents?