You’ve done a great job; you’ve reached a milestone towards your goal! Hooray and then you decide to celebrate and give yourself a reward, and there is the rub. Too often rewards are sneaky forms of self-sabotage.
Here is an example of a sneaky reward system that hinders:
Brain: “I’ve been so good on my diet plan all day, I’m going to reward myself with _____” Yep, there it is. Insert unhealthy item that blows much of your progress.
If you’ve been dieting, unhealthy food that moves you away from your goal is NOT a reward. It is a punishment. See it for what it really is, sabotage.
Where else have you used self-sabotage in the form of rewards? Wouldn’t it be better to feel good while rewarding yourself in a healthy way that doesn’t cause a potential setback?
Brainstorm for 5 minutes on things that you enjoy doing that are good for you. It could be organizing, it could be praying or meditating, taking a bath, gardening, reading a juicy book, buying fresh flowers at the market watching a play, going on a ferry or train ride, feeding ducks, hiking, biking, fishing, playing music, having a massage, getting your hair cut/styled, having coffee at a cozy cafe, crafting, knitting, enjoying a beach stroll….
When you reach milestones or goals, it’s important to take time to reward yourself for your wins! In a healthy way. Your worth it.
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