It started with a lesson I learned while on the Jenny Craig program...
Positive Reinforcement is Not Just For Kids
Rewarding myself each week for accomplishing my goals has proven to be just what I need. Who would have thought such a simple idea would work? I think as adults, we think we just need to toughen up and tirelessly push ourselves to great heights in life. No pain, no gain, right? For me, this mentality only led to a road of guilt when I didn't reach the goal like I had wanted....and that only made the thought of working towards my goals so much less desirable.
So, the motivation that worked for me was changing the way I thought about working towards my goals...from a negative experience to a positive one using this method...
1. Set 1-3 goals at the beginning of the week that are achievable and have a clear action step. Example: Tell my husband one thing I like about him each day. Goals that are too big can become daunting and discouraging. Achieving one small step can give you big motivation to take the next.
2. Choose a reward for accomplishing your goals and write it down. Then, make it a point to follow through with the reward and thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. :) Rewards don't have to be expensive or even tangible items. Examples: Buy a good book, take myself thrift store shopping for 1 hour, indulge in a good chick flick, manicure, etc. It makes a world of difference to have an appealing reward to shoot for.
3. Put your written goals in a place where you can see them daily. It's way too easy to get busy and forget about them.
4. Don't beat yourself up if you didn't accomplish all your goals for the week. Scale back your goals a little so that they are ACHIEVABLE. Then, when you get those goals down, stretch yourself a little further. Progress, not perfection.
Want to give it a try? Click on the following image to print it out.
2. Choose a reward for accomplishing your goals and write it down. Then, make it a point to follow through with the reward and thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. :) Rewards don't have to be expensive or even tangible items. Examples: Buy a good book, take myself thrift store shopping for 1 hour, indulge in a good chick flick, manicure, etc. It makes a world of difference to have an appealing reward to shoot for.
3. Put your written goals in a place where you can see them daily. It's way too easy to get busy and forget about them.
4. Don't beat yourself up if you didn't accomplish all your goals for the week. Scale back your goals a little so that they are ACHIEVABLE. Then, when you get those goals down, stretch yourself a little further. Progress, not perfection.
Want to give it a try? Click on the following image to print it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment