What is your personal reward system?

What do you do – or say to yourself when you catch yourself doing things well?

How do you reinforce your own good behavior?

Positive reinforcement works just as well with people as it does with animals.

Most people are good at beating themselves up when they make a mistake, but they don’t make an effort or take the time to reward themselves for good actions or behaviors.

I’m not saying throw an all-out celebration every time you do something well, although you can if that’s what you want. What I am suggesting is you take a moment to recognize and reward yourself with some positive self-talk,  a virtual pat on your back.

It’s very easy only to notice your faults because they stand out as reminders that no matter how hard you might try, you’re not perfect. Whereas praising yourself for small accomplishments and wins might seem childish, or inconsequential because you expect yourself to get things right.

There is also a deeper underlying reason why many people don’t praise themselves, which comes down to their own self-worth. They don’t feel worthy of praise for unexplored or unknown reasons, and this can be very difficult, although not impossible, to overcome.

Your self-reward system doesn’t have to be super indulgent. It can be something as simple as a few kind words to yourself, just as a reminder that you did something well. For example, when you see athletes perform a fist pump, that’s a reward to remind them of a positive moment.

A self-reward system doesn’t only serve to continue current good behavior; it can also be an effective way to create behavior change and implement new habits into your life.

Start rewarding yourself when you feel you’ve done something well or right, and you’ll find yourself doing it more often. You have the ability to create positive, upward behavior cycles just as easily as negative ones. If you get into the habit of catching and rewarding yourself for being good, then over time, you might be able to forget or eliminate being bad.

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