The trick to programming a habit is to reinforce (reward) a good activity, not reward or punish a bad activity (eating junk food). Eventually, the mind begins to associate the consequences with the actions. In this case, you do the exercise, you get a reward.
Pretty simple, right? But, here’s what happens: People will decide that they will take the reward before the exercise. So, after a few beers or hours of TV, they’ve lost whatever lure they had to begin with. Not many dogs will do a trick after receiving a treat. Not many people will work after they get paid.
Behavior Conditioning Rule #1: The reward comes AFTER the activity.
So in the case of doing, say, 20 sit-ups or using the lawnmower to mow the back lawn, you’ll reward yourself after the sit-ups. For example, after 20 crunches, I would recommend a glass of water or reading the newspaper. (Mowing the back lawn with a push mower makes for at least a couple of glasses of lemonade.) In my experience, the payoff should be below full satisfaction.
The reward should not be too overwhelming. Not an hour of television, a case of beer, or half a cheesecake. This will set your mind up for failure. Like a pampered pet, child, teenager, or worker, your mind will tend to wait for the big payoff before taking the slightest initiative.
Now hearing this sometimes offends people because they don’t think it’s very fair. He reminds me of the dieter who gorges himself on Wednesdays because he “was very disciplined” and hit the gym on Mondays and Tuesdays. That’s the wrong reward and the wrong amount.
Even giving big rewards for big efforts has its pitfalls. For example, the lady insists on losing 20-30 pounds and then rewards herself with a trip to Mexico or a Liz Clairborne outfit. Every day is like a job without pay. The end seems miles away. In the mind of the weight loser, diet and exercise seem like bitter medicine every day. And every day is a little torture session.
Fortunately, there are easier ways around this goal. To start with, you need to go back to the small rewards strategy. In this case of weight loss, this dieter could give himself a mark on the calendar for each day he was faithful to the diet. Better yet, make a check mark for each food that is true to your diet. There is a higher chance of success with several small rewards than with a few large ones.
The check marks become the simple reward. Eventually, a certain number of check marks, say 100, could mean a vacation trip or that fancy outfit. To keep it even simpler, every 10 checkmarks could mean a movie or a visit to a store. 25 check marks could mean a visit to a good restaurant. The rewards could even be something you usually do, like wander the bookstores. That way, there’s a little more pressure on you to perform.
Here’s one: Don’t answer or talk to friends on the phone until you’ve finished 20 minutes of your workout (or homework or homework).
So now you have the positive reinforcement for a good habit. Maybe even a little pressure by withdrawing the reward if you don’t comply. At the risk of repeating myself, rewards should be small and frequent to influence the mind to form a routine.
I have used this reward system to improve my study habits. He wouldn’t let me watch The Simpsons TV show until I had completed a chapter of homework. While riding the bus to and from college, I would study 4 pages of notes and then reward myself with reading fiction. Using this method, I increased my Biology grade from a D to a B in a few months.
Immediate rewards are stronger than delayed rewards. That’s why it’s important to reward yourself immediately after a short, regular effort. For example, rewarding yourself with a phone call, juice, or meeting with friends after a workout has a stronger impression on your mind than buying a new outfit after 3 months of training.
To further strengthen your behavior, keep a record of your activities. Writing something down each day serves as a reminder of your homework and progress.
Date/time – Desired behavior – Reward
2 Jan 05 – 30 lunges – Phone a friend
Jan 3, 2005 – 40 Minute Run/Bike – Juice/Beer/Gatorade
Jan 4, 2005 – nothing, work late, poop – N/A
What we are trying to do here is to make the mind associate the
task as unpleasant as pleasurable. If running means television
and no running means no tv then there is influence in the mind to get
the body running And run fast, because your favorite TV show starts in an hour.
For more methods, please read the download: Stomach Flattening
