Always Reward Yourself After Completing Hard Work
The reason a lot of people hate being productive is because they have a negative emotion attached to productivity.
The reason they have a negative emotion attached to productivity is because they only work.
This isn’t good.
A person like this has good intentions but has a poor understanding of the nervous system.
The nervous system sees life in 2 ways:
- Pleasure and pain.
If you are constantly making it work, then it will view the work as pain.
But if you make the nervous system work, then sprinkle in some pleasure, then you have created a feedback loop.
Properly understanding feedback loops is how the productive get more productive.
What Are Feedback Loops?
A feedback loop is an interval that indicates a beginning and end.
I’ll give you a few examples.
One example can be with the gym.
A gentleman goes to the gym, and he works out intensely.
After the gym, he lies on his couch and just chills while scrolling through the internet.
The scrolling is his reward.
The start of the feedback loop is when he goes to the gym.
The end of the feedback loop is when he is chilling.
A feedback loop like this lasts around 2 ish hours.
Other feedback loops can have a longer time span.
Like meals for the week.
Imagine the gym guy is following a strict diet throughout the week.
Sunday to Friday, he is eating clean.
Chicken, broccoli, and protein shakes!
But on Saturday, he cheats.
He can eat whatever he wants that day.
The cheat day is his reward.
In this scenario, the feedback loop is much longer.
It started on Sunday and was completed on Saturday.
Why End Feedback Loops with a Reward?
I like to end a feedback loop with a reward because it builds an incentive to do more hard work in the future!
Think about it like this…
Imagine I’m the gym guy who is always eating clean.
From Sunday to Sunday, I’m just eating chicken, broccoli, and protein shakes.
I may be able to do that in the beginning.
But over time, I’ll get bored!
I’m going to think:
‘What else? I need some excitement.’
The mind loves narratives.
These narratives give us incentives to look forward to while we are doing a task.
Each time I end a feedback loop with a reward, each time I am ready to begin a future rep with enthusiasm.
But if I only end the loops with more work, then I indicate to the nervous system:
‘There is no excitement coming. Deal with it.’
People who are consistent for a long time, are capable of sprinkling in rewards.
View rewards like a seasoning.
How to Sprinkle in Rewards
You want to start off with a very basic task before making any immediate lifestyle changes.
I’ll give you 2 examples.
Let’s say you really want to watch this video on World Star Hip Hop.
You click on the video, and it shows a few ads that you can’t skip.
You have to wait it out…
As the ads are showing, you notice your trashcan is filled.
What should you do?
Why not create a feedback loop??
- Take out the trash (productive task).
- Then watch the video (reward).
This is a micro feedback loop that you created.
Another example is if your apartment is really messy.
Clothes need to be folded, dishes need to be cleaned, and the floor needs to be vacuumed.
How about this…
Spend the entire day cleaning your place and end the day with a meal from your favorite restaurant.
- Clean room (productive task).
- Eat food (reward).
The more that you can perceive these micro moments of feedback loops, the easier it is to incorporate it into your life.
If you’re procrastinating a ton, it’s because you are just envisioning the work, rather than the reward that comes after the work.
Be Clear with Your Feedback Loops & Rewards
Be clear on what your productive task is.
If you are too general, then you will feel guilty when taking a reward later.
When you say something like:
- Be productive.
That’s too general.
When you say something like:
- Clean my apartment.
That’s more specific.
Also with rewards, don’t overdo it.
That’s why a simple reward is the best way to do it.
- A meal, a scrolling session, or taking a quick nap.
Initially, find one activity for your reward.
But if after a productivity session, you are like:
- I will eat a meal, have a scrolling session, and take a quick nap.
Then you will overwhelm yourself.
Opt for OR rather than AND in the beginning.
That’s why I gave you the taking out the trash example.
It’s one productive task for one reward.
Take out the trash -> watch the fun video.
Later, you can map multiple productive tasks onto one reward.
For example, I create a lot of content before I get my first meal for the day.
I’ll create a:
- Newsletter.
- Blog.
- Podcast.
- YouTube video.
- YouTube Short/TikTok /IG Reel.
- 1 Twitter Thread.
- 5 Tweets.
- A thumbnail.
After I do all those productive tasks, then I will eat my first meal.
The idea of that meal keeps me hungry (metaphorically and literally) to finish my tasks with a bang!
Close the Loops with Rewards
Rewards are meant for winners.
And if you did what you said you were going to do, then you’re a winner in my book.
Treat yourself.
Each time you end a productive session with a positive narrative, each time you’re empowered to do more work in the future.
Losers try to swim against their emotions, while winners swim alongside their emotions.
You can’t fight your feelings.
Learn how to work with your internal world.
You’ll see that productivity doesn’t have to be boring.
It’s a fun game that you can get better at.
Just reward yourself after each productivity session!
For more insights into emotional management and mindset, check out the Level Up Mentality
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