Best Practices for Building Better Habits (Part 3)
(continued from part two)
Reward yourself
Did you just engage in your target habit? Then reward yourself! A little reward is appropriate at this point; something easy. How about a mental “attaboy!” Allow yourself a little self-congratulations and pride in your achievement. Sounds silly, I know, but it’s actually very effective and has quite a bit of psychological research to vouch for it. Check out covert conditioning at wikipedia for more info.
Have you been reliably carrying-out your target habit all week? Time for a bigger reward. Make a list of things you love to do but don’t get to do very often. At the end of a successful week, pick something from the list and enjoy!
Here are some rewards you might want to add to your list…
? Go to the movies
? Read a favorite book
? Eat something you love that’s bad for you
? Call an old friend
? Sleep until noon
? Play your favorite sport
? Rent a really nice car for the day
? Buy something you’ve really been wanting
? Save up gift cards you get for Christmas or your birthday and use one today
? Spend time at addictinggames.com
? Chat with friends
? Waste an hour of your day
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