Unlock Motivation with Rewarding Progress
Motivation is an essential part of achieving success. As you revise for your exams it is important that you recognise, and reward the progress you are making. This blog post will discuss how rewarding progress can help to maintain motivation and keep you on track to reach your goals. We’ll explore tips for recognizing successes, setting realistic expectations, and finding the right reward system that works best for you. It’s time to learn how to make every step towards success count as a win!
Making a revision timetable is a great way of structuring your work. But this is only part of the plan. There’s no point in having the most thorough timetable if you can’t stick to it because you’re not feeling motivated. Understanding how to maintain your motivation by using rewards as incentives is fundamentally important. Here we look at why this is important and some of the different ways you can reward yourself along the way.
Importance of rewarding progress: Why it works
Rewarding yourself while doing something challenging can be hugely beneficial in helping you reach your goals. Not only does it encourage positive behaviour, but it also provides that extra push when things get tough. The satisfaction gained from reaching milestones helps create a feeling of accomplishment which boosts productivity and keeps you engaged.
Recognising Achievements: Get creative with rewards
Rewards should always be proportionate to the effort put in and should be just enough to keep you motivated to continue on to the next step. Small rewards like taking a break or buying yourself something special go a long way in reinforcing our commitment and determination towards achieving goals faster with better results! Here are some other great ideas for rewarding progress:
1) Celebratory Meal/Snack: Food is a great way to reward yourself. Whether it’s a meal out with friends or just you enjoying your favourite snack. A celebratory meal (or snack!) not only allows time away from revision but also serves as recognition of the progress you’re making.
2) Spa Day/Massage Treatment: Taking care of oneself goes beyond just physical health; mental health needs attention too! Relaxation treatments such as spa days or massages help reduce stress levels whilst providing an opportunity to reflect on how far you’ve come and what you still want to achieve.
3) Hobby related Activity: Everyone loves indulging in their hobbies every once in a while -so make sure yours isn’t forgotten. This could include anything from attending arts & crafts classes, playing a round of golf (or other sport) or playing video games. Whatever makes you feel relaxed take some time out to indulge.
4) Socialising: Social events make excellent rewards. Not only will you be getting a much needed break from your studies, but you’ll also get a chance to share your experiences with your friends. This will help relieve some of the stress and provide a sense of perspective too. So make some time to catch up: go out dancing, see a movie; go to a football match….all these activities increase morale by offering alternative perspectives.
Staying Motivated
Rewarding yourself regularly will help you to continue moving forward. Undoubtedly things won’t always run smoothly and it would be wise to prepare yourself to lose your momentum at some point – it happens to everyone. The key is to recognise it is happening and not be too hard on yourself.
On days where you find your focus slipping, or you start to feel despondent, step back and make a change. Sometimes just changing the way you’re doing something can provide the focus you’ve been missing. On other days you may need to switch things around all together – maybe you’ve been working on a topic for a little too long and your brain needs a change. Be flexible with your timetable and be prepared to move things around. By doing this you are more likely to stay motivated and keep your focus.
Rewarding progress is an important tool to use when it comes to maintaining motivation. We typically learn this when we’re very young and parents and teachers use reward charts to encourage development. Whilst the rewards you give yourself may be somewhat different the principle is the same. Rewards are a key factor in achieving success, it’s all just a factor of using the right reward!
Yes, things won’t always run to plan but using rewards will make it easier to motivate yourself to keep going. Breaking your goals down into smaller tasks and then rewarding yourself will help keep you motivated right through to exam day.
FAQ’S
Q. How can I stay motivated?
A great way to stay motivated is by setting short-term goals and rewarding yourself for reaching them. This will help you recognize your progress and give you something to look forward to as you move towards achieving your larger goals.
Q. What rewards should I give myself?
A reward can be anything at all – it’s a treat, an experience or extra time off—what matters is that it’s meaningful to YOU! It could also be something like taking a break from work or giving yourself positive affirmations when one goal has been achieved.
Q. Is there any downside to using rewards?
Rewards are usually quite effective in helping motivate yourself and staying on track, however they shouldn’t necessarily become the primary focus of why we do things—it’s important not to forget about why you’re doing what you’re doing – which is success in your exams. Always keep in mind your end goal. Rewards shouldn’t be the only reason you’re working hard.
Q. Are there any other methods I can use besides reward systems?
Yes – another great method for maintaining motivation is breaking down tasks into manageable chunks and focusing on each step as opposed to looking at the big picture all at once which can be daunting or overwhelming at times! Additionally, don’t forget about surrounding yourself with people who support and encourage you – having a positive environment will provide you with the confidence and support you need.
Q. Do these techniques apply across different fields?
Absolutely! Whether it’s academics, sports, relationships…etc., these techniques remain applicable no matter what context they are used.
Interesting Info
- Approaching your work with a positive mindset and having fun with it can significantly increase productivity: revising will become enjoyable rather than be seen as a chore.
- A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health discovered that reward-based motivation was more effective in retaining information over time than punishment-based systems.
- Positive reinforcement has been found to be an effective way to keep people on track towards goals, while also providing a sense of productivity and satisfaction with progress made so far.
