Recently I asked my husband to make a deal with me: if I lose a certain amount of weight by the end of the month, he will buy me a gift. Actually, I asked that he buy me Photoshop for my computer. I know, it’s not romantic or terribly exciting, but I wanted something that I would never buy for myself and wanted badly enough to give me incentive to really work hard.
This is a contest against myself, really. Am I strong enough to defeat my propensity to eat a little too much? If so, soon I’ll be doctoring photos to my heart’s content.
This scenario reminds me of contests I’ve joined in the past. You know the ones I mean—everybody throws in $20 and sees who will win the grand prize at the end of a three-month diet. Those contests have always worked for me—that is, they helped me to lose weight quickly. It’s not even the money that motivates me, it’s more the competition and the desire to win.
Losing weight is only half the battle, of course. Keeping weight off and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the primary focus of my daily writings. Still, if you’re anything like me, sometimes the weight won’t come off without a little nudge—a spark of incentive. If weight is falling off simply by your healthy thinking, then a great big round of applause for you. I hope your motivation lasts. For the rest of us who struggle to keep our enthusiasm, try creating incentives for yourself. It works for me!
I think competition and incentives can be very productive. The same principle can work with kids and their behavior too! The thought of rewards can be very motivating -- especially through the daily grind of things!
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