A good reward system for the family can motivate everyone to achieve a like-minded goal. My family partakes in creating rewards helping them feel part of the cause which results in them being more attached to the outcome. Combining our efforts to attain rewards has increased our motivation, enhanced our family bond, and provided an immense sense of satisfaction.
Rewarding your family makes life together more fun, less monotonous, and gives it more zest. Virtues that every family longs for but not many are able to reach because they only attack goals as individuals and none as a team.
The inception to the completion of a family reward doesn’t have to be complicated. It just needs to be well thought out so each family member is working towards the same outcome.
Don’t be like me. When I felt unmotivated to pursue any of my life goals, I thought leaving a loved one behind was the best idea. This devastated me more than anything.
I vowed to never be that father ever again.
Now, I include my entire family when it comes to dominating and smashing our goals.
Why are rewards important?
In this day and age, instant gratification comes with very little work. Want to know the latest score of the football game? What is the new dance craze everyone is talking about? How much does the newest iPhone cost? Finding answers to anything is in the palm of our hands.
There was a time when you’d have to visit your local library or talk to one of your peers in order to find your answers. In today’s world, we are rewarded instantly. It’s no wonder why we find it hard to set goals and apply rewards to them. Deep down inside we know those rewards take time to receive. Honestly, it feels like time we don’t have.
Everyone is given the same 24 hours in a day. It’s what we do with those hours that matters most. That time can either bring us rewards immediately or make those rewards more worthwhile because of it.
Allowing time to separate the subject from the desire is essential for self-control. Delayed gratification simply means resisting temptation for an immediate reward in hopes of acquiring a more valued reward in the future.
This way of rewarding is missing in the world today which is the exact reason why I practice delay of gratification with my family. It gives my children, my wife, and myself something to strive for in life rather than expecting everything to come quickly.
Next time you decide on reaching a milestone, consider using these 3 easy steps to assist your family and attaining their rewards.
For advice on setting goals, don’t take it from me. Take it from the man himself, Zig Ziglar, to break it down in bite-size chunks for you.
I wrote a post on the life-changing lessons he bestowed upon me from his best-selling book “Born to Win”.
Step One: Ready
Achieving a family reward will require one very important element for ultimate success, your family. It isn’t a surprise if one member doesn’t want to participate, the reward doesn’t feel as satisfying. Including everyone in the family when designing your rewards will be critical in all of your success.
Do not dodge this step at any cost. It’ll be worth more to achieve something together than forcing them to do it. Having them be part of the planning phase helps when executing on that plan later.
If you have younger members in the family, like I do, use your discretion as to how much of their input will help the overall plan. For example, my four year old may not have much value to add but she is more than willing to accept the challenge while my nine year old will have a little more to add that could benefit the family cause. Don’t disregard their input just because of their youth. Sometimes they see things a little differently, and sometimes better, than we do.
Here are a few tips for picking your rewards:
- Choose a relevant reward that the family views as important to them. Everyone will remain focused on the things that really matter and help each other avoid wasting time on things that are unproductive.
- Pick something that motivates all of you to strive for. It will give each of you a purpose and reason to keep going.
- Reward yourselves in proportion to the effort. Keep a list of rewards ranging from easily achievable (minimal effort) to more difficult to achieve (greater effort).
- Pick a reward in line with what you’ve just accomplished. For example, don’t reward a family 5k run with a trip to the buffet line for dinner. It defeats the purpose of leading a healthy lifestyle.
- Rewards can be free just as long as it brings your family happiness and satisfaction. Not every reward requires money.
Ensure your reward system is effective by following the tips above. When using a system – regardless of the structure – the number one goal is to keep everyone motivated to succeed and smash those goals.
Step Two: Aim
Now that phase one is complete, we can move on to the next phase which is “Aim”, also known as the “preparation” phase. This is where all the planning pieces come together so you’re all shooting for the same target.
Take your time with this. It is very easy to want to skip this step because everyone is excited to get started. But don’t give in.
In order for these rewards to hold any value, the entire family needs to be on board with the upcoming journey. Most likely, this probably won’t be an easy goal to achieve so every minute spent to prepare will benefit everyone.
Here are a few tips to help your family prepare for the rewards:
- Decide how often you all will be rewarded. Some will choose a monthly reward while others receive the reward in the end. It is totally up to your family and what works for them.
- Narrow down what the rewards will be by eliminating the less-desired ones and only keeping those that matter the most.
- Pick the best strategy for the family. With everyone on board, executing the plan will be much easier.
- Set the target and head directly for it. After everyone is aiming for the same goal, it’s time to go after it.
As a family “aims” their focus on a common goal, together they can accomplish the impossible. Do not skip out on this step even if everyone doesn’t see eye to eye in the beginning.
Once everybody knows the goal they are going for and the reward they’ll receive, then you’re ready for the next and final step, “Fire”!
Step Three: Fire
The last and final step your family needs to attain those big rewards is “Fire” or what I like to call “execute”. It’s go time!
Now that all the planning and preparing is done, it is time to move onto the most enjoyable portion which is actually doing the work. With the right plan, executing that plan should be pretty simple.
There may be bumps on the road though and that’s ok. It is imperative that everybody keep their heads together to make the ride smoother and ride out those bumps better.
Here are a few tips for executing your plan to reap the rewards:
- Align each family member toward success. Tackle the scary thoughts together but steer everyone to the goal in mind.
- Fix each action, behavior, and desire not in harmony with the family goal. If it doesn’t belong there, clear out the waste.
- Designate some guilt-free money in the family budget for those rewards that mean the most.
- Never downplay the “tiny” steps of progress. If you’re heading in the right direction, celebrate it.
- Make the habits easy. The easier they are to follow, the more likely everyone will stay on track.
- Should anyone feel lost, remember what you set out to achieve.
The execution of your family’s plan should be upbeat and energetic with a dose of challenging. Set the bar high and push to reach it.
Don’t settle for less than your potential. If the reward was too easy, it won’t mean much. That’s why you raise your standards, not lower the expectations.
There’s no way that we could thrive as a single income family if it wasn’t for us all pushing each other along the way.
Conclusion
You and your family have some homework to do. Achieving a goal together should be a life goal for everyone.
Earning that reward you all set out to receive will feel so much sweeter if you apply some of the steps listed above. So what are you waiting for?
Get out there and smash those goals!
What is holding you back from achieving your potential? Can you get your family onboard with a plan?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!