Tips for Weight Loss: How to Set a Reward for Yourself!

Recently, I blogged about an $11,000 trip I am setting up as a reward for myself for getting to 200 pounds. I'd like to dive a bit deeper into why I set up this reward, and how you can do it too.

Why set a reward?

Often times, the reward set for weight loss is something small, like "I'll go to the spa", or "I'll feel better", or "The Weight loss is its own reward". That's phooey, I want something big. If I get to 200 pounds (which I haven't been at since I was like 11) I want something that means it was worth it. I will likely set up rewards along the way as well (I'm thinking a flight to New York to see Book of Mormon at, say, 300 pounds) and I may even set up some anti-rewards, ala Tim Ferriss, but this is my final, major goal, and reward.

This is a fantastic, powerful reward...most would say.

This is also going to be a bit painful. You see, if I don't hit my goal, then I will constantly see $11,000 sitting in this account, earning minimal interest. That is painful to someone who invests his money. This is a constant reminder of what I am saving, and why I am saving. The excitement of what is waiting at the end of the road is great, but when I need the motivation, I'll have the pain of seeing so much cash sitting uninvested.

Choose a Good Reward - You Deserve It

This works for any goal setting - weight loss, weight gain, starting a business, learning a language (a great reward for learning a language is a trip to that country!), etc.

I am focusing on Weight loss in this post, because it is a universal goal.

If you need help setting a realistic weight loss goal, click here first.

Okay, have you set a goal? Great. Now it's time to set a reward.

Here are your guidelines:

• Your Reward must be tangible
• Your Reward must be allowed only when your goal is met
• Your Reward must be big and expensive*
• Your Reward must be something you can brag about
• Your Reward must be something that excites you

* Expensive is a relative term. If you make $40k/year, then a $2,000 reward might be expensive. If you make $500,000 a year, then $25,000 might be expensive. $11,000 is a lot of money to me, so I chose that, but I know that is way too much for many people as well - I had to do something really big for myself to be a kick in the a**.

Some suggestions for rewards:

• A trip - Anything from a trip to a local amusement park, to a year long trip around the world
• A car - For those who are making $500k/year
• A new TV or other tech gadget (Phone, Game system, computer, etc.)
• A 2 day spa retreat
• A new pet (dog, cat, fish, mouse, snake, hamster, gerbil, alligator)
• A really delicious meal at a fancy restaurant (best for non-weight loss goals)

How to Track a Reward

My preferred method for tracking a reward (not a goal) is a four pronged approach.

1. Create a savings account just for your reward (this assumes your bank can support this, otherwise, use a spreadsheet, or a simple piece of paper)
2. Set up the Goal in Mint to track how well you are moving toward your goal.
3. Calculate how much your reward will cost, and when you are targeting to finish your goal (Mint can help with this)
4. Set up an automatic draft into your reward account each month
1. The equation to use is: Cost of reward/# of months until goal attainment = Monthly amount to save

Example:

I set up a new account in ING Direct (Capital One 360) called "Around the World" and funded it with $1,000

I set up the goal in Mint for $11,000, with the goal of achieving it by April, 2015

Mint told me I need to save $385 per month to reach my goal

I set up an automatic transfer into this account of $192.50, twice per month (when I get paid)

I created a third account in ING Direct

I then created the goal in Mint

This method forces you to commit to your goal. You are automatically putting money toward this reward, and by doing so, you are taking out one of the barriers that could trip you up: Your own psyche. Computers don't tell little lies to themselves "well, it wasn't the right reward", "I could use this money elsewhere", "I don't need this, I have strong will power" - all a bunch of fear based BS. The computer will, every month, automatically transfer the cash.

This provides automatic incentive, and many, if not all of us, can absolutely use some automatic incentive.

As I set additional rewards for my journey, I will be using exactly this approach.

Final Step: Take Action Now

Isn't this a great idea?

Yes, it is, so take 10 minutes right now to define a goal and a reward. I then will grant you 48 hours to refine or change your goal/reward.

But starting right now, take 10 minutes and define your goal and reward, a starting point at least.

I bet you already have a goal - perhaps one you've been talking about for the past 2 years or so, saying "I'm going to do it". I bet it has been part of at least one broken New Years Resolution. Goals can be refined along the way, but pick an ultimate goal, and pick a reward...NOW.

When you are enjoying your trip, or car, or video game, or dinner, or whatever your reward is, I think you'll be pretty happy that you took these ten minutes to set a goal, set your reward, and commit to changing your life for the better.

Your new life begins in 10 minutes, so get to it.

Bonus!

Here's some more motivation. Visualize the goal. You have money sitting in front of you, but if you are just not motivated by money enough, then really visualize what the reward will be like!

For example: During my 'round the world trip, I will be finding this place, and staying there:

Pssst. Hey you. If you want to get great updates from Padorec, click here to subscribe.

Have You Set Your 2013 Goals Yet?

Is 2013 going to be a year of success, or a year of failure?

It's up to you, but based on the weak sign up rates for the Goal Reminders, I'm guessing it'll be a year of failure (or at least of limited success) for many of you.

I really, truly want all of you to sign up for the 2013 Goal Reminders (link on right, or the form is below). It takes 5 minutes tops (that includes the time to think through your goals). 

The way it works

1. You sign up for the reminders - include your name, e-mail address (spam free, I promise) and 1-3 goals for the year
2. Then, on pre-determined dates (below), you'll receive an e-mail that shows your goals, and has a quick tip
3. You continue to work towards your goals, reminded, and assisted along the way
4. When 2014 rolls around, your life is measurably better

When will I get the e-mails?

When I first wrote about the program, I didn't have the dates finalized. Now, the program is finalized, and the dates are as follows. You'll receive a Goal Reminding e-mail on:

• January 14
• February 4
• March 4
• April 1
• May 6
• June 3
• July 1
• August 5
• September 2
• October 7
• November 4
• December 2

What is it really going to cost?

For you. Nothing

For me, there are costs associated with the mail service I use, but I so badly want you to achieve your goals, that I am willing to accept that cost. 

No, you will not receive any spammy, or salesy e-mails from me by signing up. I hate it when blogs pull that crap, so I vowed never to do that to my readers.

You are Not an Island

In the previous post about goals, I stated that I do not have any goals for 2013. Well, that's not exactly fair. Here I am, asking you to set your goals, and I'm being a little b**** not setting goals of my own. After thinking about this for a while, I realized I was using a cop-out, and so I spent some time thinking, and I set 3 2013 goals for myself.

My 2013 Goals

1. Increase Padorec Subscriptions by 200 (This gets you updates from the blog - completely free for you)
2. Lose 50 pounds
3. Launch 3 products into test mode

Those are in order. My #1 goal is to increase subscriptions by 200. 

I am also getting the e-mails to keep me on top of things!

Set Your Own SMART Goals!

For tips, see the previous post: Skip the Resolutions, 2013 is a Year for Goals
Euchrefan had a great comment on using the SMART Method:

To further the definition of a "good" goal. I have used the S.M.A.R.T. method. 

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time bound

This seems to align with your notes above. I like the use of SMART goals because it's easy to remember and it helps you think through the goals to make sure they are written clearly. 

Also, the goals don't have to all be for the year. You may have a goal you'd like to achieve by lets say August. So it's okay to include that in your goal so you've given it priority. 

I haven't made any resolutions in decades. And I haven't got any specific goals right now. So I think this is a good time for me to do it. 

Thanks for the reminder.

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Skip the Resolutions, 2013 is a year for Goals

The view from 30,000 feet as I write this

It's that time. Blogers everywhere have taken to their respective podiums to tell you about their year, and about "what's coming in 2013"

This phenomenon often takes different forms:

• Some bloggers talk about, and give links to their favorite posts (all too often, their favorites posts just happen to have links to their courses or e-books)
• Some will talk about their personal finances and success factors of their businesses.
• Others still will look forward to 2013, and will issue their intentions for the new year.

I don't have any favorite posts (well, that's a lie - I do)
I don't share my personal finance stats (I might in the future, but that's not the focus of this blog)
I haven't set any goals for 2013

So what do I have to talk about, then?

I know! Let's talk about you!

All About You

Did you have a favorite post last year? If so, help me out by sharing it on Facebook, twitter, or Google+...okay, you don't really have to share it, but I'd love to hear about it in the comments. That will help me to deliver even better content that you want in 2013.

How were your goals for 2012 met? Was your goal to spend all your money and live life to the fullest because of the Mayan doomsday? If so...I'm sorry for your loss, but I bet it was one hell of a year! There is something to be said for living every year like it is your last year ever (though you probably shouldn't give everything away every year)

What are your goals for 2013?  Do you have New Years Resolutions? (I hate these - more on that later) or do you have hard and fast goals for 2013? You should use Strategic goals, instead of tactical ones.

How to Set a Goal

An example of a strategic goal for a blogger might be "Increase my subscribers by 200 during the year". That's a good one because it has a lot of sub goals attached to it. 

1. How can you get 200 subscribers without getting 200 regular readers? In fact, you need a lot more readers than that, so now you are also increasing your readership. 
2. This may mean you are trying to raise your Search Engine Rank. 
3. To do this, you may need to focus the direction of your blog. 
4. You also need to work on conversion and retention of subscribers. 

This is the difference between strategic and tactical. Your strategic goal is to increase subscribers by 200. All the other stuff is tactical - it's the "how" of the goal.

Note: Some may argue that 200 subscribers is simply a tactical goal as part of a larger strategic goal like "to be a dominant blog [top 5] in the personal development space". That's a bit vague for me for a one year goal. That is more of a mission than a goal. 

Whatever level you set your goal at, however, just make sure it is something you can act upon, and it will be considered a good goal. Notice that I didn't say "achieve". A goal doesn't have to be something you know you can achieve - it is something you should be able to work towards. Odds are, if you set a goal that you know you can achieve, then you will achieve it by around March, and not have anything else to work on.

Why I hate New Years Resolutions

Ever since I can remember, I have despised the idea of New Years Resolutions. (it should be pronounced New Year Resolution, by the way - bad grammar...what a shame) Even when I was in Kindergarten, I remember making a resolution to give up New Year Resolutions. For whatever reason, I have a distinct memory of being in Mrs. Wagner's class, and making that statement. I was a weird kid, though - I also was doing simple algebra and figured out how to steal all of the fireman stickers from atop the cabinet. Man I would hate to have had to teach me.

Anywho, why have I always hated New Year Resolutions? I think it's because of the subtext that comes with setting them. 41% of New Year Resolutions this year are slanted toward Money (specifically, handling it better) That means that in 2012, you are stating that you handled your money poorly. However, it's not like on January 1, you realized "Holy Shit, I handled my money poorly!" No, you absolutely realized that during 2012 - but you didn't make the change then. It's like saying "I'm going to start my diet on Monday." I have always hated that this arbitrary day on an invented calendar seems to have such a huge effect on everyone. This is why this post is coming out on January 2nd, instead of December 31st. This way, you are not setting a New Year Resolution - you are setting a goal for 2013.

My thought has always been "well, the Universe doesn't give a hoot that it's now 2013, so why should I?"

I understand the power of goal setting, however.

Why I give you permission to set Goals for 2013

Even though I hate the resolutions - I realize that the concept of a new beginning is very powerful for most people. It's one of the benefits of the cyclical nature of our society. It is also beneficial to put a time frame to our goals. However, I ask one favor. Don't make a resolution. Resolutions are usually made to be broken. In fact, come March - tell people you are still keeping a New Year resolution. They will be absolutely shocked. Our society expects people to give up on their resolutions. So, if you already made one, start ignoring it today - as opposed to January 4th where I suspect most people give up on their resolutions. 

Instead, set a goal for 2013, or even multiple goals. Be specific, though!

Examples of Bad Goals:

• I'm going to [eat healthier, work out more, drink less, etc.] this year
• I'm going to manage my money better this year
• I'm going to be nicer to people I meet this year
• I'm going to finally find a job I love this year

Did you notice how vague those are?

Examples of Good goals:

• To lose 30 pounds this year
• To work out 3 times per week this year
• To limit myself to 2 drinks per night, twice per week
• To track my finances using mint.com (or any other method - define it!) and reduce my spending on [food, bars, gas, clothes] by 15%
• To compliment at least one person every day
• To get a job working on alternative energy projects which I am proud to tell my family about

Did you notice how ultra specific those are? Also, did you notice that instead of using the format "I'm going to", I changed it to "To....". This is a subtle change, but it gives our goals more a feeling of a mission, instead of being something we'd like to do...if we get around to it. Lastly, those are actionable - you can work to ensure you compliment one person per day. "Being nicer" is hard to act upon, because it is so vague.

I also like to set a margin of error on those weekly/daily goals. I used to set a goal (working out every day was one) and then when I missed a day, I was a failure. Now, I set in a margin of error so that I can still be successful. For example, I would now say "To work out 3 times per week this year, for at least 45 weeks". Now, if I miss a week, I'm still within the reach of my goal.

Get Goal Reminders Monthly

Take ten to thirty minutes right now, if you haven't already, and define your goals. I'd recommend you keep it in the 1-3 range. That way you will not lose focus.

Tips for setting your goal:

• Make it specific
• Make it actionable (something you can work on)
• Make it meaningful (setting a goal to work out 3 times a week is pointless if you don't actually want to work out)

Next, fill out the form below. Once a month, I'll send you a reminder that you should be working toward your goal. Since you don't have to worry about remembering your goal, you can focus on achieving it! Don't worry - the only e-mails you get as a result of signing up for this will be reminders to work toward your goals. 

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Additional Reading

Goal setting is nothing new - below is a list of some good reading regarding goal setting

• Motivations - The Seinfeld Calendar at NevBlog
• Printable 2013 Calendar (if you don't want a massive calendar) at PrintFree.com
• How to Have the Best Year of your Life (without setting a single goal) at ZenHabits
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (Affiliate link alert!)
• The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (Affiliate link alert!)
• "I Don't Know How" is Not a Valid Excuse by Steve Pavlina

Keeping Yourself Accountable

January - Over.

My record based on the Seinfeld calendar for exercising: 27/31

That's pretty good, working out to 87% completion; 90% would be better, 100% desired, but looking back, I have no regrets.

The days I missed were interview related; after a long day of interviews, it's too difficult to go ahead and work out. With that said, every day I do not have an 'X' I actually did SOMETHING, but not enough for me to justify that in my mind, because that would sabotage me later on.

For Example:

"Well, 20 minutes of cardio should be enough to count it, I've already done that twice"

"You know, 10 minutes is ok, because I went pretty hard during those ten minutes"

"Well, I didn't actually 'work out' per se, but I walked a lot around campus"

"I didn't lift weights, but I did lug around my backpack, and that is quite heavy"

"I didn't do anything today, but I did get out of bed, that should count"

Blam, suddenly you find yourself doing nothing, and, worst-of-all, it is all justified in your mind.

This calendar is keeping me accountable, because I can see, and everyone else can see, how much I worked out. I also purchased a scale, and once it comes, I will take daily measurements, and graph it. This will also be posted in my room, for all to see.

"Hmm, I'm kind of embarrassed about 380, but, I won't be embarrassed if that was my starting point and I have lost 30 pounds"

So you can see, it is all about accountability, because we're all too persuasive to ourselves; we can make ourselves believe anything, so don't let your mind start to persuade you, fight back and do what is right!

My First Missed Day of the Year, and How to GET PSYCHED!

I have been keeping up the working out every day thing for 19 days of this year, then, two days ago, the career fair ambushed me. I went so hard all day that I decided not to do my cardio that day. Then, yesterday, I had another marathon, and I plainly forgot to do my weights. So, as a result, my calendar looks something like this:

That's okay with me though. 19 days in a row is quite impressive. So, in order to prove that I'm awesome, I now have to go 20 days in a row, to beat that streak. That means, including today (already rode the bike for 45 minutes) I have to go once a day until Wednesday, February 10th, though by no means does that mean that I want to only go 20 days.

So, I'll keep it short for today, but that's a little update on my main goal of the year. Oh, as far as affirmations, I got my favorite one I think. It's from How I Met Your Mother (a new favorite show) and it's simple: "I'm Awesome".

Oh, also, to get myself psyched up when I need it, I've been using a playlist from the show to get psyched. I can't confirm that this is the proper playlist, but it's based on general consensus from multiple sources. Here it goes:

Barney Stinson's Get Psyched Playlist

1. You Give Love a Bad Name - Jonathan B. Jovi

2. I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister

3. The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground

4. Don't Stop Believing - Journey

5. Lick it Up - KISS

6. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses

7. Tom Sawyer - Rush

8. The Theme from Transformers [80's Version] - Lion

9. Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol

10. Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions

11. Come Sail Away - Styx

12. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

13. Panama - Van Halen

14. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

15. Talk Dirty to Me - Poison

16. Thunderstruck - AC/DC

17. High Enough - Damn Yankees

18. Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty by Nature

19. Dr. Feelgood - Mötley Crüe

20. Round and Round - Ratt

It's pretty cool, because when I turn it on, I make it so that I get psyched, so when Bon Jovi first comes on, I start to get really psyched. It's all an association thing, so make sure that you associate this playlist with getting psyched up initially, then, afterward, it WILL get you psyched up always!

So...I didn't keep it as short as I thought I would, but still, it's a good playlist, and a GREAT technique for getting psyched up.