WellBunny
Bounce back from bad habits

Beat Procrastination with Rewards!

Everyone understands the concept of delayed gratification, and everyone believes they’re more than capable of doing it, but are we?

Can you really give up something good now for something better later? You really think so?

• If a coworker brought around a tray of your favorite donuts right now, would you be able to resist because that would make you healthier in the long run?
• If you were invited to go out with your best friend, would you stay home because you need your sleep for work tomorrow?
• Would you give up going to see a movie and do your budget instead?

I know I wouldn’t, at least not all the time. But wait,

• Your health is more important than a donut (obviously)
• It is more important to do well at work than go out, unless you really hate your job
• And it is more important to take care of your finances than go to a movie

So why do people choose to do the thing that’s less important? The obvious answer is that it’s more fun!

But I think there’s a less obvious, and more important way of looking at this. It’s not just that one is more enjoyable than the other. If that were the case, you would have skipped work and gone fishing (or shopping, or whatever) today, right?

So, why did you show up for work? Because you need the money. You enjoy your career. You simply don’t want to get fired. Whatever the reason, you did it.

My point is that there’s something else that’s more immediate helping to weigh in on the side of doing what’s less enjoyable. I use that principle to help me “trick” myself into doing things that I really don’t want to do. Here are some examples that have worked for me.

• I’ll put away five dollars a day for every day I pack a healthy lunch instead of eating out. Yes, I’d rather eat out, and it’s easier, but putting away money for something special is an added motivator to eat right.
• If I spend a half hour working on something unpleasant, like house work, I’ll give myself half an hour immediately afterward to do something enjoyable.
• I’ll listen to music or an audio book only when I’m working on something I’d rather not work on, and I don’t allow myself to listen to it at any other time.

Of course, it only takes a small imaginative leap to realize that you don’t have to just apply this to yourself! Do you want to get your kids to pick up after themselves? Offer them an immediate reward after. How about getting your husband to do laundry? Your wife to take the car for a wash? I’ll let you come up with some suitable rewards for those last two!

Whatever you’re trying to achieve, try pairing it up with something enjoyable. I believe that we all respond to rewards. If that helps you to accomplish what you need to, then I think that’s terrific. Besides, you get to add a little fun to life!

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Tags: procrastination, productivity, reward