Sometimes we can get so bogged down in our day-to-day tasks we fail to recognise the progress we’re making. Don’t forget to reward yourself along the way – it helps to keep you motivated and increases your chances of reaching your goals.
Identify your achievements
If you’re finding things tough going, sit down and think about what you’ve achieved over the past year or so. You may be surprised at how far you’ve come. Maybe it’s time to acknowledge some of the successes you’ve had.
Setting yourself big goals and striving to achieve them is important. Equally important is enjoying the journey along the way. As John Lennon once said “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. Rewarding yourself for achieving milestones and mini-goals helps to keep you motivated and makes you want to accomplish even more.
If you have a big goal, such as buying a house within 5 years, it might pay to break it up into sub-goals. For instance, you might want to give yourself savings targets every year. When you reach these targets, make sure you reward yourself for all your efforts.
Make your reward special
Your reward should be something that you wouldn’t usually do. If you normally go out for dinner every Saturday night, then doing something similar is not really a reward. Maybe you could take a weekend trip away, or book yourself into a day spa, or take some time off work. Whatever it is, make it something special and out of the ordinary.
Make sure your reward doesn’t conflict with your goals. Pigging out on a takeaway meal is not an appropriate reward for losing weight. If your goal is to pay off your credit card debt, don’t reward yourself with a shopping spree!
Ensure your rewards are justified. There’s no point in deluding yourself into thinking that you’ve made great progress when you really haven’t. You’ll know in your heart if you deserve your reward. Be honest with yourself.
Rewards build confidence
Treating yourself when you’ve succeeded also gives you a confidence boost. It makes you realise you’ve done something great, and that you can do more great things in the future.
Striving to get to where you want to be doesn’t have to be a hard grind. Take the time to identify your milestones, and enjoy your achievements along the way.
Life coaching can help you to identify goals that are right for you, so you can start to work towards them, and reward yourself for your progress.
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