When you meet your wellness goals do you reward yourself? If so, you may unwittingly be limiting your ability to maintain what you’ve attained.

I am certainly not opposed to taking pride in your accomplishment; in fact, acknowledging what you’ve attained is a key component in building self-esteem and self-confidence.

So why would I think of a reward as having a negative effect?

It’s true that we give rewards as a way of acknowledgment but there is a greater sense of compensation inherent in its use. ,Do you truly consider that achieving a wellness goal is an unpleasant thing, a drudgery that had to be endured?

In point of fact, you could consider that attaining a wellness goal is, in and of itself, its own reward.

So I’d like to offer a different approach – rather than rewarding yourself, try celebrating instead.

A celebration is certainly an acknowledgement, but it is also joyous.
It bears witness to an accomplishment.
It becomes an occasion in its own right and can be a sharing as well.

Seemingly subtle shifts in intent such as celebrating rather than rewarding can be the difference between exhibiting a new behavior and establishing a new way of living.
It can be what helps you maintain real satisfaction in your wellness and therefore in your life.