I got a pedicure recently. Not a big event in most people’s lives, but I am not this kind of most people. Those consider it self care. I don’t. Nope, I see an unnecessary expense, particularly if it’s between that and a chance to see a show or take a trip, no contest. Why splurge this time? Easy. I got one as a reward for completing a streak: 30 days/250 words daily. Why? Why could I justify it as a reward? Because, and I know this might seem weak, but it feels different. Earned. And because I suck at something. Rewarding accomplishments is not something I generally do, and I realize that needs to change which is why it has become an important part of my ritual. Not to build a new habit, but give myself that space to look back, appreciate and show myself respect.
The Why Behind the What
The inspiration came after NaNo last year. I told people I was doing it (I managed 43,000 and change on the word count) and after they asked me how I would reward myself. That’s when inspiration hit: I could take that moving forward. From that time on, I’ve figured out a goal with a manageable base metric to accomplish over a 30 day period, and, upon achieving it, step back, reflect and celebrate. The pedicure was reward one. I can tell you, it felt not like an extravagance, but a moment I could relax into and enjoy.
Here’s another truth about me‒I’m not great at acknowledging my accomplishments. Sound familiar? I get busy doing and don’t step back to see how far I’ve come. You too? Worse, it’s hard to remember not only to reward yourself, but to think that you even deserve one. For me, it’s only when I have a conversation with someone with an outside view who sees with clearer eyes that I see that in fact, I’ve accomplished anything. And I have come a long way. I’m thinking thoughts and doing things I never dreamed of a year ago. Things that deserve celebrating. Alas, before this, I didn’t. Even better, there are benefits to rewarding yourself, so find what works and do it.
Don’t get me wrong. Habits are important. Our lives are founded on them‒good and bad. Yet, most of the time we fall into them without thought. If only we could fall out of them with equal ease. Because it’s hard, they (you know, the mysterious they who do the studies on this stuff) encourage us to shift on creating a new, good habit rather than subtracting a bad one. The 30 day challenge is used to support this goal. If you make this work for you, congrats. And I hate you, well, not hate, that’s a dangerous word. Rather, I strongly dislike and am envious of you. It takes far longer for me to create a new habit. Because I possess this self knowledge, I gave up on the 30 day streak, until now.
And it worked! I successfully managed to write for 30 days straight because I wanted that reward. And I’ve kept it moving forward. Upcoming challenges are on the calendar and ongoing. Rewards include; dressing up and going out to a fancy place for a drink, splurging on a full-price movie ticket and concessions, and fancy new journal. I’m still coming up with a list of items, under say $25, to give myself every streak. Got any suggestions? Include them in the comments. Thinking this might work for you? Tell me what you’re going to try. I would love to hear.