What is reward? Well, the dictionary defines it as "something given or received in recompense for worthy behavior" Hmm. In many ways that definition makes logical sense. As a motivational speaker I would define reward a little differently. Reward is the payoff, the prize in the gameshow, the " thumbs up" the grand finale in some ways. It let's you know "good job - you did it!" When you see it is working you get more motivated and even more fired up.

What is reward? Well, the dictionary defines it as "something given or received in recompense for worthy behavior" Hmm. In many ways that definition makes logical sense. As a motivational speaker I would define reward a little differently. Reward is the payoff, the prize in the gameshow, the " thumbs up" the grand finale in some ways. It let's you know "good job - you did it!" When you see it is working you get more motivated and even more fired up.

Let me give you an example. My father, Jack is a successful man and has always been a person with an incredible work ethic. He grew up poor in a small town in the south and through grit and hard work; he literally pulled himself up from manual laborer, to factory worker, to highly paid sales executive. When he reached a certain point in his career, he went out and bought a brand new Cadillac. I was a kid at the time and I didn't understand why he had bought the car, in my view at the time, "an expensive, gas guzzling" car. I asked him one day when we were driving, "Dad, why did you buy this car?" He smiled at me as we were driving down the road. He told me that when he was a kid, he always saw successful people driving big cars and made a vow to himself, that if he ever "made it" he would reward himself by getting a Cadillac. It had always been a dream of his and now it had happened. He smiled a lot that year.

It is absolutely essential to reward yourself for achieving benchmark goals. It the key to getting and staying motivated. It is important for many reasons but here are a few: 1) You will feel great beacause you are making measurable progress. 2) Why are you working so hard? This is your specific reminder as to why. 3) It's the closing scene after you have acheived the goal. 4) To celebrate the progress you are making. 5) It motivates you and fires you up and pushes you further.

I am sure you have heard of Steven King the novelist. What most people dont know is for years he and his wife Tabitha struggled and lived near the poverty line. They were very poor. After the mighty struggle for years he finally signed a large book contract landing a large advance check. He called Tabitha and said that they had finally "made it". Wow. She siad "I am so happy- now I guess I can buy a blow dryer?" She had not been able to afford a blow dryer because they were so poor and had to towel dry her hair. Once the blow dryer was hers, she said it meant more to her than almost anything else.

Want to massively increase your level of motivation? Today? Now? Set short and long term goals and then tie big rewards to their acheivement.