Original Post September 30, 2011
This morning I was rousted out of my peaceful slumber by some very intense rolling thunder. It was so intense that I was up over an hour before my alarm. Having lost that much needed final hour of sleep I decided I deserved a reward so I packed Oliver, my standard poodle, into the car and ran up the street for a yummy cappuccino.
As I drove home enjoying my tasty beverage I did not feel guilty in the least as I felt I deserved it. I mean I lost an hour of sleep, right?
Suddenly it dawned on me that I have been rewarding myself quite a bit lately. I lost weight so I got some new clothes. Okay, so that may not have been so much a reward as a necessity as after losing over thirty pounds I was swimming in my clothes. Frumpy is so un-cool so reward justified!
I signed a book deal. So I bought a new purse. Okay, now that I think about it that was not such a frivolous expense either as my old purse was much too small to carry business cards. I am an author; I have a new book coming out. I have to tell everyone about the book. I need to carry business cards. Reward justified!
My reward system has been going on for as long as I can remember. When we lived in Michigan I introduced my best friend Sheila to my reward system. We would head out for our walk and, after completing it, would get in the car and make the short trek to Dairy Queen for an ice cream. Our justification? We had walked five miles. Reward Justified!
Actually that system really worked. I mean what a better incentive to walk than knowing we had ice cream waiting for us at the end? Unfortunately we lived in Michigan and there came a time when it was too cold to walk. When that time came we had to tweak the reward system. We wanted to walk and it was not our fault that we couldn’t walk so we rewarded ourselves for no longer being able to walk. Once again the reward was justified! It was a well thought out plan that actually carried unexpected benefits. Having stopped the daily walks yet not stopping the daily ice cream meant we had a new incentive to walk come spring! Don’t you just love the way things work out?
I know my justification system may not make sense to some people but to me life is about rewards. Doesn’t it please you when someone notices something you do? Whether you have cleaned the bathrooms, put clean sheets on the bed, or completed a project by the proposed deadline, don’t you want someone to notice, to tell you that you did a good job? It doesn’t matter that it was your responsibility to do them in the first place. It just matters that you did a good job and deserve a reward. That reward can come in the guise of a simple word of praise, a simple thank you or good job. Granted, they aren’t tangible but they still make you feel good all the same.
I think each deed is full of justifications and each person deserves a reward just for being alive so figure out what you have done that makes you say yes I am worth it and give yourself a small reward. It can be as simple as an extra hour of sleep, a few minutes of alone time locked in the bathroom away from prying eyes, or maybe even that item you have had your eye on and wondered if you should though caution to the wind and say yes, I am worth it.
Before you start sending me e-mails chastising me for busting your budget I want to remind you that YOU are responsible for your own happiness and YOU are the one making the choice of what Your reward will be, so please choose wisely and don’t break the bank…unless it is justified!
This morning I was rousted out of my peaceful slumber by some very intense rolling thunder. It was so intense that I was up over an hour before my alarm. Having lost that much needed final hour of sleep I decided I deserved a reward so I packed Oliver, my standard poodle, into the car and ran up the street for a yummy cappuccino.
As I drove home enjoying my tasty beverage I did not feel guilty in the least as I felt I deserved it. I mean I lost an hour of sleep, right?
Suddenly it dawned on me that I have been rewarding myself quite a bit lately. I lost weight so I got some new clothes. Okay, so that may not have been so much a reward as a necessity as after losing over thirty pounds I was swimming in my clothes. Frumpy is so un-cool so reward justified!
I signed a book deal. So I bought a new purse. Okay, now that I think about it that was not such a frivolous expense either as my old purse was much too small to carry business cards. I am an author; I have a new book coming out. I have to tell everyone about the book. I need to carry business cards. Reward justified!
My reward system has been going on for as long as I can remember. When we lived in Michigan I introduced my best friend Sheila to my reward system. We would head out for our walk and, after completing it, would get in the car and make the short trek to Dairy Queen for an ice cream. Our justification? We had walked five miles. Reward Justified!
Actually that system really worked. I mean what a better incentive to walk than knowing we had ice cream waiting for us at the end? Unfortunately we lived in Michigan and there came a time when it was too cold to walk. When that time came we had to tweak the reward system. We wanted to walk and it was not our fault that we couldn’t walk so we rewarded ourselves for no longer being able to walk. Once again the reward was justified! It was a well thought out plan that actually carried unexpected benefits. Having stopped the daily walks yet not stopping the daily ice cream meant we had a new incentive to walk come spring! Don’t you just love the way things work out?
I know my justification system may not make sense to some people but to me life is about rewards. Doesn’t it please you when someone notices something you do? Whether you have cleaned the bathrooms, put clean sheets on the bed, or completed a project by the proposed deadline, don’t you want someone to notice, to tell you that you did a good job? It doesn’t matter that it was your responsibility to do them in the first place. It just matters that you did a good job and deserve a reward. That reward can come in the guise of a simple word of praise, a simple thank you or good job. Granted, they aren’t tangible but they still make you feel good all the same.
I think each deed is full of justifications and each person deserves a reward just for being alive so figure out what you have done that makes you say yes I am worth it and give yourself a small reward. It can be as simple as an extra hour of sleep, a few minutes of alone time locked in the bathroom away from prying eyes, or maybe even that item you have had your eye on and wondered if you should though caution to the wind and say yes, I am worth it.
Before you start sending me e-mails chastising me for busting your budget I want to remind you that YOU are responsible for your own happiness and YOU are the one making the choice of what Your reward will be, so please choose wisely and don’t break the bank…unless it is justified!
RSS Feed