Designing An Effective Reward System

Written By Colēgia

Sometimes we need an extra incentive to do a task since intrinsic motivation isn't always enough. A great way to help with this is by using rewards so that we can have something to look forward to when doing things. It's more than just having a reward, it needs to have value. Today we want to look at how we can design an effective reward system and why it can be necessary.

Understanding Value

Value is something that can be subjective since some things might hold more weight depending on the person. An effective reward system is built with an understanding of value in mind since it takes a good amount of self-awareness. We can start by taking the time to know what it is we enjoy first since that's a good starting point with rewards. Some things might provide us with a higher sense of value since it could be something we need or know we'll use often. An example of this can be rewarding yourself with higher quality clothes or shoes since they typically last longer as a result. Knowing which things are worth spending more of your resources on can help because it can save you time and energy in other areas.

“Value is something that can be subjective since some things might hold more weight depending on the person.”

The Reward Needs To Be Worth The Effort

It's good to break down how big a reward is when making a reward system since not all of them are built equal. The accomplishment of climbing a mountain is much different than sticking to an exercise routine for one day. Having a system that has small, and big rewards is one method that can help. This is mainly because we're able to provide a bigger incentive for doing things that require more effort. When the really good reward is equated with more effort we're more likely to work towards it. An example of this can be a new video game console that you want versus getting a game. Passing a class with an A and getting yourself that console serves as a culmination of all the work you've done over a semester. Buying a game when getting an A on an important exam is an example of how a smaller reward can help enforce better study habits.

“It's good to break down how big a reward is when making a reward system since not all of them are built equal.”

It Takes Time To Build Habits

Some reward systems need to be used for a longer period of time and this is okay. It takes time to build habits and it's not something we can expect to stay consistent at the start. Smaller rewards each week can keep us going initially since they can give us an extrinsic form of motivation to do a task. The ideal goal of a habit is that we want to feel that it's intrinsically rewarding to do and this can take a combination of changing our perspective and having something to start the spark. Keeping a good habit is something that deserves recognition since we don't want to take it for granted. Using rewards as a means of celebrating our accomplishments can provide a sense of validation for our efforts.

Colēgia

Colēgia

Previous

Finding Your Productivity Method
Next

Why Higher Education Is Worth Pursuing