Change Anything: Part Three

The next strategy in our series about making positive changes: Invert the Economy. Use rewards and punishments for doing the right things and wrong things.

World famous succes coach Anthony Robins said that humans are motivated by two things: 1. To gain pleasure, and 2. to avoid pain. Guess which is a stronger motivator. Avoiding pain is much stronger.

If we can identify what our bad habits are, we can set up a "punishment" system for engaging in those bad habits. For example, watch what happen to tobacco usage as excise taxes increase.

We can set up bribes for doing well. Set up a reward system for when you do a "good" action or habit. You get to go out for ice cream...but only after you've exercised five days in a row. Something like that. And if you don't exercise five days in a row, no TV for you this weekend! Use carrots AND the threat of losing carrots.

Regarding finances, set up a financial punishment for every time you break your own rules to change. We are far more motivated to avoid loss than we are to receive and equivalent gain. If you put something you value at risk, you might be more likely to change than if you merely rely on bonuses, prizes, and other incentives.

A word to the wise, though: use incentives in moderation. Don’t fall for big incentives thinking that they’re more likely to yield big results. Large, long-term goals become far more effective when they’re broken into smaller, short-term ones.

Reward your ACTIONS, not your results, since results are often out of your control.

You get the idea.