“How will you reward yourself?” This is what I ask clients when we’re discussing habit change. Rewards have been very helpful to me in my own struggles to change habits, and I’ve been surprised by the rewards that are the most effective. They have nothing to do with money, travel, massages or chocolate. Instead, I reward myself with doing something that I enjoy and that I absolutely know I’m going to do anyway.
For example, I love the feeling of pulling on my soft, comfy pajamas at the end of the day. The only thing that makes it even better is when I am doing it with clean, just flossed teeth. A long time ago, I told myself that I wasn’t going to put on my pajamas until my teeth were flossed, and it has been the perfect enticement to keep up the habit! Now I can’t imagine not flossing my teeth.
I do something similar with my morning coffee. I only have one cup a day, and I’m often looking forward to that morning cup when I go to bed at night. Coffee in the morning is a given, but I don’t drink it until I’ve completed something I don’t enjoy, such as unloading the dishwasher.
By accomplishing tasks I don’t like, I am ultimately enhancing the parts of my day that I do like. Want to give it a try? The next time you’re looking forward to a nice part of your day, think of one small, not-so-nice thing you can do first. Let me know how it goes.