Shapeshifting
Rewards
***Put below overwhelming force link in w 2****
Rewards are a very useful tool to move through resistance. In this article I show you that you can get quite creative, which in itself is a great way to ease resistance instead of pitting yourself in a fight with that resistance.You can either plan in rewards for doing things you do not want to ahead of time, or use them to sweeten the deal with yourself as and when necessary.
Rewards work best when combined with other motivators, as explained in the Overwhelming Force page.
Types of Rewards
#1 Straightforward Rewards
This is when you want something immediate to push through your resistance that is making the right choice difficult. You really want something that you can enjoy immediately (although I have found that ordering a DVD gave me enough immediate distraction to count).
You can see some examples on this page
#2 The Smashable Money Jar
You need a smashable money jar for this, not one with a rubber seal you can open and replace that you can borrow from when you have no change and you just need to nip out for a pint of milk.
Charity or thrift shops are good for these and do not cost much if you do not want to buy one new.
There are various ways you can use the money jar:
*Pay yourself per action
For example, say exercise is the part of your daily planning that you are most likely to skip. Set up a system where you pay yourself to do the exercise, or just pay yourself for doing it when you don’t feel like it. You can vary the amounts depending on your resistance!How to finance this? One thing I do sometimes with clients is calculate what they are saving now they no longer have trips to the store to finance their chaotic eating.
*The Invisible Accumulator Method
I started the smashable money jar accumulator method last year. A few months before a trip to London I told the kids that any spare change we would put in the jar. But also if we walked back from town instead of get the bus we would put that money in the jar. One day I went for a drink with a friend and the waitress forgot to take our order. My friend had to leave early, so we just left without having anything to drink. Later I put the £5 I was going to spend on the drinks in the money jar.
Over 3 months we saved just over £60 this way and used it for a meal out in London. Free treats! That is really what it felt like as it was so painless.You can use this method PLUS the pay per action to build up a nice little treat fund and it is also quite fun not knowing how much is in there until it is full and you smash it!
#3 Points
This year I am taking my boys on holiday to Spain. In addition, they are earning the right to go to an aquaparc nearby the resort by doing things that, well, make my life easier: doing chores without me nagging, doing extra reading, trying hard with homework, cooking dinner, not killing each other (!) and then extra spontaneous points can be given for eg being kind.For each positive act they get 100 points. I have worked out that together they can easily earn 3 days in the aquaparc at 30,000 points a day between now (January) and July.
What treat could you set up a points system like this for?
A book you want?
Attending a course or seminar abroad?
A mini break?
A spa day?
Something to wear?
The good thing is you can offer yourself more points if your resistance hits your hard. Say 1 healthy action gets you 100 points, like doing your exercise. Then one day everything goes to pot and you feel too tired and grumpy. This is the day to offer yourself 300 points for going on that run!
