It’s not grade school, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t love a reward for accomplishing a goal. Even adults require positive reinforcement. It’s just how we’re wired. Behaviors rewarded are behaviors repeated. Connecting a reward to your finish line will offer you that mental break you require to avoid business burnout.

I took a poll in our office, asking how each team member likes to reward themselves for accomplishing a goal at work. Here are eight of our favorite ways to reward ourselves at work:

1. All of the coffee – Yes really. That last hour you know you need to push through to meet that deadline? Keep pushing. Set your goal and tell yourself your reward is that fresh, hot, better-than-the-office-Keurig cuppa.
2. A breath of fresh air – You’re working away at your desk all day and I commend you for your commitment, but get outside! Once you complete your big task, set another goal – for you. Go outside and clear your head – then get back at the next goal on your list.
3. What book do you want to read? Don’t buy it yet! When you’ve completed your goal, you may have it.
4. The Wheel – You may or may not know we have a wheel that we spin when we accomplish our goals in our office. We each have a ball with our initials on it, so when we have accomplished one of our big goals, our ball goes into a Bingo cage. Whoever’s ball comes out first, gets to spin the prize wheel. Some of the prizes are material, and some aren’t. It’s a fun way to stay motivated as we work toward our goals.
5. Get social – When we’re hard at work, we tend to put a lot of our personal needs on the back burner. It’s known that social engagement is emotionally healthy, so why not make one of your rewards for your efforts spending time with a friend?
6. Quiet time – On the flip side, it’s also important to get some alone time to be with your own thoughts. Some of my team members have started scheduling that quiet, meditative time as a reward as well.
7. Take your time at the gym – If your gym offers a sauna or steam room, get in there! One of our team members says she rushes in and out of the gym and realized what a treat it is to use the other facilities like the sauna. If you belong to a gym, take advantage of that quiet, relaxing, detoxifying space.
8. Plan time off – Maybe it’s an hour, maybe it’s a week (or four weeks if you follow The Clockwork method!), but taking time off to decompress and step away from work will help you return to it refreshed and ready to tackle the next goal. I find that time off usually garners more creative ideas about how I can grow my business when I have stepped away from it.

The success of your business is likely your motivation, and your ultimate business reward. Remember, you need a full cup to pour into others. Celebrate those wins!

Take care of you.
-Mike