The Difference Between Treats and Rewards

Life editing can help you make positive changes quickly, but if you really want to reach your goals fast, then I’ve got 2 tools you must try ASAP!

Treats and rewards are essential as you work on your goals. They might sound like the same thing, but each of these tools are designed to motivate you in different ways.

You need both to keep up your energy as you make self-improvements, so take the time to map out how you’ll celebrate your wins.

Watch this video to learn the difference between treats and rewards.

The video transcript is below for your convenience.

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Video Transcript

Hey there! I’m Sage Grayson, a former book editor turned life coach. I help ambitious career women edit their habits, routines, and mindsets to balance their happiness at work and home.

I’m a Life Editor…and so are you!

Today, we’re talking about the difference between treats and rewards. Let’s go!

I’m not the type of person to say no to something good.

• Chocolate cupcakes? Oh yeah!
• Move to Walt Disney World? OK!
• Spend all my money on Esty stickers? But of course!

So it’s no surprise that I’m all about celebrating the wins you have in your life and business. You gotta look at what you’ve accomplished and take a moment to soak up and acknowledge the positive feelings. “Yes! I did it!”

But I’m in the minority here. Most women I know rarely if ever give themselves a pat on the back. And it’s sad because if you don’t congratulate yourself, no else will.

There are 2 main ways to be good to yourself: by giving yourself treats and rewards.

Now, those might sound like the same thing, but there are some big differences.

Treats are usually free or inexpensive, and you don’t need to earn them.

Give yourself small treats daily or weekly simply because you’re a human being deserving of love and kindness.

A treat might be a Starbucks coffee every Monday morning to start your week off right. Or buying a trashy magazine every time you go to the grocery store. Or how about watching cat videos for 10 minutes during your lunch break.

One of my clients treats herself to fun stickers for her planner whenever she needs a boost of motivation.

There’s no effort involved, little cost, and you get a treat simply for being you.

On the other hand, rewards are usually more expensive, and you must earn them through focused work and effort

Give yourself large rewards when you hit milestones along the way to your big goals.

Let’s say your goal is to clean out your entire house. Whoa! That’s a lot of work. You could give yourself a reward for every trash bag full of junk you throw out. Or a big reward for every completely clear room.

Then finally, you could give yourself a massive reward like a family vacation when you reach your ultimate goal of having a clean house.

One of my clients has an income goal, and for every client she signs up, she buys a new book. When she reaches 10 clients, she’s going to buy herself a large $600 painting for her office.

Rewards take effort, and they must cost something so you take them seriously. If you could get it for free anytime, then it wouldn’t be much of an incentive.

Here’s the thing: you need both treats and rewards in your perfectly edited life.

If you only have treats, then you’ll never make yourself do the hard work. And if you only have rewards, you’ll burn out and give up during those times when you’re not making progress.

Before you make your own treats and rewards schedule, remember that they work best when you choose things that help you get to your goals faster.

So if you’re trying to lose weight, you shouldn’t treat yourself to an entire sheet cake. Instead, try a new pair of sneakers. And if your goal is to save money, you shouldn’t choose rewards that blow through all your savings. Try something that gives you energy like a massage.

That’s it! This week, design your treats and rewards schedule. Give yourself small treats often, and work hard for those nice rewards.

If you like this video, please be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe on YouTube. Then come on over to SageGrayson.com and sign up for my free Editor’s Toolkit. You’ll get weekly updates from me plus sage advice that I only share in email.

Thanks for watching. I’ll see you soon.

In the comments below, share your favorite treats and rewards.

This post focuses on Step 5 of the Life Editing Process, Make White Space for Personal Self-Care. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.