Some of the links below may be affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
The last step in the creative habit trifecta is the rewards.
The way to finally cement a new habit and make it part of your daily routine is by setting up your creative rewards.
In this mini-post I want you to pause for a moment and reflect on the ways you are rewarding yourself for the positive responses you are making to old and new triggers.
When you take action and incorporate new habits into your life, you must inevitably face the possibility of failure. And the thought of failing can be enough to make you want to go back to your negative familiar patterns.
Reframe failure as a necessary step toward becoming the creative person you want to be. You know you have the potential to act and feel like your best self every day. You have a choice.
Toot your own horn!
You must learn to celebrate your own successes and reward your personal, professional and business wins, big or small.
As much as you have control over the response you’re going to give to a trigger, you also have control over the way you will celebrate your positive response, and how you will reward your efforts.
If the reward is missing, if the celebration of your small win is overlooked, the positive response you’ve just given will fall by the wayside. The mental and creative energy you invested has been wasted.
Why aren’t you celebrating and rewarding yourself?
You might think…
- there’s not a good enough reason to celebrate and reward yourself.
- to stay with the momentum you’ve reached you must keep going.
- it’s more efficient if you batch your celebration for later.
Don’t wait to deliver to yourself your creative rewards
Think about it, you can’t wait to deliver awesome news or give someone a birthday or anniversary gift. So, why shouldn’t you feel equally excited to deliver a gift you give yourself?
For a reward to be effective, it must come immediately after the desired behavior or response, here’s a list of creative rewards you can have ready to engage in a little self-appreciation.
What are some creative rewards to celebrate all your wins?
- Write a short thank-you note to yourself. Here you’ll offer yourself recognition and honest praise for a particular positive behavior, small win or milestone.
- Give yourself a literal pat on the back. Show yourself some self-love.
- Give yourself a 5-15 mins buffer. You’ve earned a little break, but don’t go wandering off too far, make it intentional: a motivational video, a hot shower or bath, even a recharging nap.
- Get yourself tickets to a show you like or a movie you want to watch. Would you rather go to the game? Get tickets for you and a friend 😉
- Enjoy a favorite (healthy) snack.
- Give yourself a round of applause.
- Throw a little party for you (and your team). Make and keep a “flash celebration” box or bag in your house, office or backpack. Something that can make an instant party: a handful of confetti, “cake in a mug” mix kit, small balloons.
You may choose to reward yourself is by doing the complete opposite of throwing a party:
- You can gift yourself some silence, quiet and stillness.
Gift yourself the time and space to meditate, to go inward, to enjoy the feelings, to get reenergized by it, before you move on. Start celebrating all you do and all you are becoming every step of the way!
Set yourself the goal to pause, reflect and celebrate each time you’ve responded positively to a trigger, and kept yourself in a creative flow.
Every time you stop yourself from reacting and consciously make a choice to act the way you want to be and feel, celebrate!
Savor each moment of personal victory. Create and harness the power and self-confidence you feel.
What’s one way you would like to celebrate every time you respond positively or achieve a personal goal? Share your most creative reward below!
