When you get started towards new goals and habits there is always a learning curve that comes along with the process. You will naturally tend to shy away from activities that make you uncomfortable and that leave you tired and so we go through the difficulty of forcing ourselves into those activities. We know they are good for us deep down but we want the instant gratification of rewards all the time. Well, what if I told you that both were possible and that your favorite activities and rewards could actually make your new habits easier to attain?
Rewarding Yourself is the Easiest Way to Push Through
This whole process is actually the most fun part of going after something new. At our core, we just want to feel good and happy. When we can pair those happy feelings with the negative feelings behind approaching difficult tasks then we can start to condition ourselves to like the new habits. Try holding off on having a coffee in the morning until you've written a full page for your book. Or put off having a nice, hot shower until you've stretched and done some yoga. By putting a nice treat at the end of anything we are avoiding we start to breeze through the activity so that we can reach the treat. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be a world-consuming endeavor. All that you have to do is add a little work before you get the things you already reward yourself with.
The goal today is to find ways to pair activities with things we already love doing. What do you love? Personally, I like a Green Tea and a Breakfast Sandwich in the morning. The difficult activity for me to pair it with has been getting up and running for 20 minutes. But after a week, I've started to become used to the routine and it makes my tea and eggs even sweeter.
Choose what makes you happy and then let it make you even happier as it propels you towards your dreams. And then, maybe let us know how it went.
Until next time,
Drew