If you can reward yourself in some way when you have reached a specific goal or a major milestone, you are much more likely to continue going. You’ll have something to work towards, and you’ll know that you’ve already done a lot, as you’ll have the evidence to show for it. Finding rewards in every walk of life for achieving anything at all can help keep you motivated and productive.
There is one problem with this idea, though. If you are trying to lose weight, rewarding yourself can be dangerous. If you reward yourself with food, for example, you could undo the hard work you’ve just done. This is why it’s good to have some other rewards in mind when you are patting yourself on the back for reaching your latest weight loss goal. Here are some of those ideas, but there are plenty more, and none of them involve food.
Have Some Me Time
Me time is crucial for all of us. Just a few minutes is enough, although longer is preferable. Me time is time for yourself, doing something you want with no interruptions. It can be anything (although not, in the context of rewarding yourself without ruining your diet, food-related) such as taking a long, hot bath with lots of bubbles or essential oils; taking the time to read a book; listening to your favorite soundtrack; binging on a TV show; learning how to use a bubbler; mediating; or whatever else makes you happy.
This time is precious, and not many people get to enjoy it enough because we’re all so busy. This is why it’s such a wonderful reward for a job well done. Plus, if you get to experience it again when you reach your next goal, you’ll be keener than ever to get there.
Try Something New
When you think about all the things you want to do in life, there’s probably quite a long list, and many of them are going to be entirely new experiences, which is great for your mental health as well as giving you the chance to make some fantastic memories.
Why not, when you’ve reached a great goal in your diet, pick one of those items off the list and do it? Your very own weight loss goals could spur you on to visit a city you’ve always wanted to go to, to book a show in a theater, to go skiing or white water rafting or scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Not only will you reach your goals with an excellent reward in mind, but you’ll get things done in other areas of your life too.
Phone A Friend
Before life got so busy and before social media got in the way of real connections, you likely spent a lot of time on the phone with your friends, or perhaps one best friend in particular. Do you remember how fun it was to just talk about nothing at all for hours at a time? Wouldn’t it be fun to do that again?
This would be the perfect reward for reaching a weight-loss target. You can either call your friend out of the blue or arrange it all beforehand to ensure they have enough time to dedicate to the conversation. Opening up these human connections again is heart-warming and will make you feel happy and content.
