On a Saturday morning at the end of January, it sure looks like a lot more fun to be at the AMEX in California instead of 16 degrees here in St. Louis.
BUT, I do like our Missouri taxes quite a bit better:)
Okay, so we’ve finally come to the third, final, and most fun piece of your habit-building domination:
The Reward
It’s gonna take some thought, but we’re going to rely on a tried-and-true principle of government…shameless BRIBERY.
The following story applies to just about any bad habit…
If you’re like my buddy Bill, you love soda in the afternoon because of the burst of energy the caffeine gives him. That burst is his reward, but obviously it’s an unhealthy routine.
So, the question for Bill was how can he get the same burst of energy, but in a healthier way?
Here’s what he did: he got a monthly subscription to Panera for unlimited coffee. Now, he drinks black coffee to get his caffeine fix without the unholy amount of sugar, aspartame, or high-fructose corn syrup of soda.
It’s not perfect. In a perfect world, I wish he would just go for a walk. But it’s a much healthier habit than soda.
Now, to the bribery part…
What we’re ultimately after is momentum. Like physics, once you’re in motion, you tend to stay in motion. So once you’re moving in the direction of making a habit automatic, we’re going to bribe ourselves, so we don’t stop the momentum.
The trick is to create rewards that reward you back.
DON’T reward your routine with an unhealthy reward. In other words, don’t reward a week of exercise with a large, sausage pizza for dinner on Friday.
DO reward your routine with something that makes you want to keep doing the routine. For example, hit the gym 3 times per week for a month, then treat yourself to new pair of sick kicks (that’s what the kids call cool shoes).
I own 8 pairs of True Linkswear shoes, mostly because of rewards to myself.
Bill, also treated himself to a new pair of water-proof golf shoes so he can walk more courses in the mornings.
Your job today – think of a healthy reward for your fitness habit. Make it awesome. I’d love to hear about it.
Your #1 Fan,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – If working out to get fit and/or improve your game, then we’ve got you covered in the 18STRONG App.
Years ago, golf was never on my radar when it came to working out. Nowadays, I won’t do a workout unless I know it’s going to help me on the course. Funny how our priorities change.
Here’s the link to your free 7-day trial: https://www.go18strong.com/app-test-drive