When it comes to goal setting, it’s easy to see the big picture of where you want to be at the end. Lose twenty pounds. Finish writing a book. Declutter the house. Whatever the goal, you know how it’s supposed to look when you’re done. The problem is getting from the beginning to the end.
As skilled as you might be at setting goals, staying motivated over the long haul can be challenging. There will come a point when you hit a wall and wonder if the work is worth it.
When that happens, how do you keep yourself going? Having systems in place to get you back on track is key to staying motivated. And having a way to reward yourself for working through the day-to-day challenges is a great way to maintain your progress.
SETTING UP YOUR REWARD SYSTEM
One of the most important ways to stay motivated while working towards a goal is to reward yourself along the way. Knowing you’ve completed one of your goals has its own reward, but adding additional rewards along the way for completing small portions of your goal helps keep you focused over the long haul.
Depending on your goal, the reward systems you set up will vary. If you have a long-term goal like losing weight or writing a book, you’ll need more frequent options than with a short-term goal. But whatever reward system you implement, you need to set up your rewards before you start working towards your goal.
Part of setting up a rewards system includes deciding how much money to spend. There are many options for free, or cheap, rewards. But for a bigger goal, having a larger reward to look forward to can be a great motivator. Also, you need to determine what type of rewards work best for you and for your goal. Obviously, if you’re goal is losing weight, rewarding yourself with food every week isn’t the best idea.
FIVE TYPES OF REWARD SYSTEMS
SCHEDULED BREAKS
Breaking down goals into small chunks helps you stay focused. And by giving yourself regular rewards during the process, staying motivated becomes easier. Set up small goals for each week (or whatever makes sense for your particular goal). Every time you meet your weekly goal, reward yourself with a small win. This can be the same reward each week, or change it up to offer flexibility.
By setting regularly scheduled rewards, you 1) know exactly what you need to do each week, and 2) give yourself small wins to remind you or your progress.
TURN IT INTO A GAME
Finding ways to make working on your goals more fun will keep you headed in the right direction. If your goal is to declutter the house, crank up your favorite music and sing along as you work. If you’re work doesn’t require being at home or the office, take your work on the road. Plan a day where you go to different places – a coffee shop, a library, a park. At each location, determine how much time you’ll spend, what your goal is for each place, and what treat you’ll give yourself (a favorite coffee drink, etc…). This becomes a scavenger hunt of sorts. If you’re goal is health related, invite a friend to go for a walk.
By finding ways to add fun to your tasks, you 1) learn to look forward to working on your goal, and 2) have flexibility for how you do your work.
VISUAL TRACKING
While some people prefer tracking goals on an app or only using a planner, others need a little more of a reminder. Using a visual tracker provides an added boost of motivation because you see your progress every time you walk by your tracker. Some examples of visual trackers include things as simple as posting a chart on a wall where you can mark off days or using a jar where you add or subtract marbles to represent time spent on your goal, pounds lost, etc… You can use a color-coded system of Post-It Notes to show each goal. Many people have turned to things like Bullet Journals to customize their own visual trackers. As part of a visual tracker, be sure to include your reward, either written down on the tracker, or tape a picture of the reward on the jar. When you update the tracker, you remind yourself of the reward.
By using a visual tracking system, you 1) get an adrenaline boost by physically manipulating the chart, jar, etc.., and 2) see a daily representation of your progress and your rewards.
PAY YOURSELF
While many rewards for goal setting don’t cost much, it’s nice to have a bigger reward to look forward to at the end. But vacations or new wardrobes don’t pay for themselves. A great way to add to your reward systems is by paying yourself. You expect to be paid at work, right? Why not pay yourself for your work on your own goals? For each day you work on your goal, reward yourself with a payment. For example, every day you complete a work out, pay yourself a dollar. Every time you write a chapter in your novel, pay yourself five dollars. When you complete your overall goal, you’ll have a nice nest egg for a bigger reward.
By paying yourself for working on your goals, you 1) will have funds available for a larger reward at the end, and 2) have even more to show for your hard work than only completing the original goal.
HOBBIES/INTERESTS
With work, school, and family activities, there sometimes doesn’t seem like enough time in the day to get regular tasks done, let alone work on additional goals. And there’s even less time for things like hobbies. One way to motivate yourself to find time to work on goals and give yourself a chance to enjoy your hobbies is to tie them together. Every time you work on your goal, or complete a small portion of a larger goal, reward yourself with time to read, work on a craft project, or whatever hobby you wish you had more time for during your week.
By combining your goals with your hobbies, you 1) have more motivation to work on your goals knowing you will have time to work on hobbies, and 2) will complete hobby projects while you complete bigger goals.
No matter how much you want to complete a goal, there will be challenges. There will be times when giving up seems like the thing to do. Having reward systems in place keeps you motivated to work through those challenges. Knowing you’re giving yourself a reward, whether something like a favorite drink or just permission to relax doing something you enjoy, provides added incentive to work towards your goals.
** How do you reward yourself for completing a goal? Is there a new reward system you might try to motivate yourself towards completing an unmet goal? **
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