Putting the Habit Loop Into Action Part 5: Rewards

The reward is what locks-in the rest of the habit loop. It teaches our brains that the cue is worth paying attention to, and it inspires the craving that makes our behavior feel desirable.

Pavlov’s dog produced the desired response (salivation) only because the reward (food) was consistently and immediately paired with the cue (bell) which created the craving.

Humans are great at doing things that are good for us short-term because they are immediately satisfying. But the stuff that’s good for us long-term has delayed gratification, and is much harder to bring ourselves to do. It’s why my habit of eating Oreos before bed was formed almost overnight, and my habit of running was formed...you caught me...never...(lol).

So, for the habits we have a hard time forming we should implement Jame’s Clear’s 4th Law of Behavior change: “Make It Satisfying”. What’s going to make you go “AH!” when it’s done?

Many 10 Min A Day Club Members found that showing up for their artistic practice was rewarding enough! Amazing! I hope whatever habit you're working on is rewarding, and sparks joy and satisfaction all on it’s own.

But assuming you’re planning to do your desired habit every day, by the nature of repetition, it’s not going to feel inspiring 100% of the time. So set another reward as well.

Soon I’ll post a blog on “Effective Rewards,” but the most important rule is make sure the reward doesn’t conflict with the overall goals of your desired behavior or identity.

If you are trying to run each day to improve your physical health, rewarding yourself with a sleeve of Oreos after each run is counter productive. Oreos can be a random treat! But probably shouldn’t be what keeps you running. Instead try a shake, or even your favorite “trashy” tv show.

And remember, as your habit is forming, how you feel it went that day is irrelevant. Only showed up for 5 minutes? Reward yourself. Only ran 1 mile instead of 2? Reward yourself. This is how the association forms and the habit loop takes shape.

What habit are you working on? What’s your reward?