Definition
Setting up your own rewards for your desired behaviors can help modify the way you live.
Positive conditioning is also known as self reinforcement and the terms may be used interchangeably.
How to Do It
Reward yourself for doing something beneficial on a regular basis. Rewards can be as simple as telling yourself you’re doing a good job, or giving yourself time to watch that new movie you’ve been wanting to see, favorite food ect.
To keep things organised, write down all the beneficial things you’ve done each day and plan rewards for each.
Benefits
- Boosts productivity and helps overcome procrastination[1].
- Can be applied to many areas. For example, self-reinforcement can improve learning[2] and aid weight-loss[3].
Time Commitment
N/A
Why it works
- When training a dog, for example, you would reward it for doing things you want it to do more often. This gives the dog a positive association with the rewarded behavior, making it more likely to repeat the behavior. By using self-reinforcement (or positive conditioning) you can train yourself in this same way. Rewarded behaviors are more likely to be repeated even if you are the one giving and receiving the reward.
- People tend to procrastinate because the reward for completing a task often isn’t immediate or obvious. This is how setting rewards for completing desired behaviors combats procrastination.
Suggested Frequency
Daily
Supporting Studies and Articles
Gurus/Celebrities/Doing it
Will Smith
Kim Kardashian
Notes
- Avoid rewarding yourself with anything that may damage your health in the long run.
- This habit can be combined with any other in order to help you stick to it. For example, if you want to start meditating regularly, reward yourself whenever you meditate.
