How would you like to be rewarded

155 Ways to Reward Yourself for Reaching Your Goals

Home » Success Habits » 155 Ways to Reward Yourself for Reaching Your Goals

There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

Does this sound familiar?

You start a new habit, only to quit in frustration a few days later.

Unfortunately, this is a common experience for many people who want to lose weight, increase productivity, or stick with a new exercise routine.

Why does this happen?

Well, one reason folks struggle is because it’s really hard to stay consistent when they don’t see immediate results from their behavior change.

Fortunately, there is a simple way to stick with your habits, goals, and tasks:

Reward yourself whenever you reach an important milestone or achieve a specific goal.

Having something to look forward to makes it easier to stick with a habit when you’re feeling a lack of motivation (or when you’re simply too tired to get started).

In this post, I’ll go over 155 ways to reward yourself for completing a goal or task.​

WARNING: One thing before we get started, any reward you choose shouldn’t derail your goals or habits.
For instance, if you’re focusing on weight loss and you achieve a breakthrough, don’t pick a food reward, because that completely defeats the purpose of your accomplishment. Keep this rule in mind as you go through this list.

What You Will Learn

Entertainment Rewards

RELATED: Habits that Stick!

Want to build a new habit that will stick for the rest of your lifetime? In this video, you will discover a simple 9-step process about building habits that you can immediately implement.

Food Rewards

Free Rewards

Self-Care Rewards

Shopping Rewards

Travel and Outdoor Rewards

Final Thoughts on Rewarding Yourself

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to reward yourself. Some are small rewards that are a few minutes long and don’t require any money, while other rewards can be both costly and life-changing (in a positive way). When using this list, make sure that the rewards match the accomplishments and you stay consistent.​

Is there a reward that you enjoy that isn’t on this list?

If so, comment below and tell me all about it.

5 Answers To «How Do You Like To Be Managed?»

When being asked, “How do you like to be managed?” it’s important you have a clear example of the most optimal situation you’d like to be in and be ready with your answer in advance. We’re going to cover why interviewers ask this question, how you might look upon your past to come with a great answer, examples of answers you can use, and what you should avoid saying when answering the question.

Why Is The Interviewer Asking Me How Do You Like To Be Managed?

The interviewer is asking you this question for two reasons. The first is that they can get an idea of what your ideal work situation looks like. The second reason is that they can get an idea of what your past working situations looked like. Both of these provide some potential for understanding how to drive success within the management of the company and how your manager might work with you.

The reality is that even when you provide your answer, it doesn’t mean that your future manager will be able to give you exactly what you are looking for. This is an opportunity for the interviewer to learn more about your personality and how they might anticipate your chemistry within the companies ecosystem.

The Ideal Answer To The Question

Ideally, the answer to this question is one that contains a prior working experience and reflection upon why that prior working experience succeeded. It would help if you took the time to think about how your previous bosses worked with you and which qualities of theirs really stood out to you.

If you have all four of these key components within your answer, the interviewer should respond fondly to you.

What If You Only Had Bad Bosses

If you feel like you’ve never truly appreciated the way that you’ve been managed, I urge you to take another look and find the one that was the least of the “bad” bosses. You might interpret their leadership style as a negative one. But from experience, the next boss you work with could worsen, making the boss you thought was bad a good one. The point is that everything is relative in hindsight. Try to examine your managers with an unbiased point of view. Put yourself in their position, ask yourself how they could manage you.

If you don’t have enough work experience to be able to reflect upon a boss in a positive light, then that’s another problem. Though the more you are honest with your answer, then the easier it will be. For instance, if you only had one prior job. You can answer with a simple, “I’ve had the pretty limited working experience, but the manager that I had shown extremely great guidance, patience, leadership qualities, and the ability to stay organized. Because of that, the way he/she managed me showed through in a similar light.”

The point is that if you feel as though you’ve had bad prior working experiences, try to consider the positive aspects of them and bring those to the forefront. You do not want to tell the interviewer that all of the prior managers you’ve worked with were poor. This is because that is highly unlikely, and this communicates with the interviewer that you might be difficult to work with.

The Worst Answers To The Question

If you answer the question without any depth, it will come across as though you are evasive, which means the interviewer might interpret your answer as though you need to hide something from your past. For example, if you say to the interviewer that you don’t have a particular management style preference or that you can work with anyone quite easily, then it will appear like you might be telling a white lie.

Avoid answers that contain emotional past experiences as well. You don’t want to use this question as a platform to start speaking negatively about your other work experiences. For example, an answer like, “I feel like every manager that I’ve worked with could be doing better. That’s the reason why I want this job to be able to do better than they did.”

In that type of answer, you are putting down your previous managers, and that isn’t the best way to carry yourself professionally.

A Reference To Company Culture Matters

Culture is a big part of this answer. If, for example, you answer the interview question with something like, “I really appreciate autonomy. I’m looking to receive autonomy and be able to execute to get results.” While an answer like that may seem like a great idea, if the environment doesn’t provide a lot of autonomy to their employees, then it will seem as though you aren’t a good fit for the role.

The way to avoid this is to be looking up the company culture. You can use tools like LinkedIn or Glassdoor reviews to get an idea of what their culture is like. Though, for the most part, consider your basic company management to be apart of most organizations. That means structure, hierarchy, responsibility, and accountability. Those are some of the core characteristics of classic company management.

Answers To “How do you like to be managed?”

Here are some example answers that you can use to get an idea of what the interviewer is looking for.

Answer 1

“One of my favorite managers went by the name of Sam. Sam was incredibly talented at communicating to us in ways that resonated on a personal level. This means that Sam clearly took the time to think about each of our lives and how to best speak with us. His communication felt like guidance. And because of this guidance, many other team members and I felt like any challenge was possible to overcome. That’s just one of the qualities I look for in a manager.”

Answer 2

“The best managers that I’ve worked with always set clear goals, paths to achieving those goals, left the door open in terms of being able to ask questions and had patience with us when we needed a helping hand in getting the job done. Because of that, I felt like growth was achievable both on a personal level and on a company level.”

Answer 3

“I appreciate management that is both transformational and transactional. That means that the manager provides me the knowledge and background information on why the job is needing to be done. Or better put, the importance of the job. And then providing the list of tasks that our team needs to accomplish to go from Point A to Point B.”

Answer 4

“Collaboration has always been a heavy theme when I think of the managers I’ve worked with within the past, who I’ve had great chemistry. It’s that experience of working alongside someone, sharing ideas, and being able to hit milestones. It feels comfortable, compelling, and makes coming into work every day worth it.”

Answer 5

“I’ve always appreciated the managers who showed me the respect to treat me as though we were peers. It made me feel a closer connection with them, grew my respect for them even more, and then ultimately made them a mentor within the company. Having that line of communication, where the manager is genuinely interested in creating a connection with me, is what I consider a management style. And it’s one I have a great deal of respect for and always look for in a manager.”

Closing Note On This Interview Question

This isn’t your opportunity to create requests. Be honest, be humble, and be genuine with your answer. This will come across in the most professional of ways. Prepare in advance of being asked this interview question and promptly respond with your prepared answer. If you are dishonest, use cliches, or get overly specific, you might indirectly communicate something negative to your interviewer. They are seeking a genuine, simple answer from you. Could you provide them with one? The great news about being asked this question is that it is a leading question to you being offered employment. Normally a question of this type isn’t asked candidates who aren’t doing very well. Keep that in mind as you prepare for your interview and then after your interview when you are reflecting upon your performance, trying to decide if there were signs of the interview going poorly or signs of it going well.

25 Rewards That Great Employees Actually Love to Receive

You want to reward your employees for their hard work, effort, and dedication. You need to reward your employees for their hard work, effort, and dedication.

The following is from Sam Caucci, the CEO at 1HUDDLE, a game-based training platform that companies like Audible, the San Francisco 49ers, and ESPN use to convert boring training materials into competitive games that increase employee engagement & performance. 1HUDDLE engages employees through daily training games that companies can customize to their brand and be played in under 5 minutes a day.

Here’s Sam:

There’s a killer in the midst of your business, stalking the hallways and slowly sucking the life out of your team’s motivation, loyalty, and productivity.

Do they need lavish bonuses? Over the top perks? Unfortunately, the biggest issue facing your workforce is far from exciting.

The modern workforce is bored.

A lack of engagement and clear void when it comes to employee recognition for the work they put in, are the most common reasons given at exit interviews by Millennial workers—a group who will make up 50% of the workforce by 2020.

So what do we do? Throw up our hands and accept the fact that we’re dealing with a zombie workforce shuffling through the day staring at the clock? Not a chance.

Training and Rewards—The Ultimate One-Two Combo for Whipping your Workforce Into Shape

You see, your employees want to learn and grow. In fact, 87% of the Millennial workforce rates career growth and development opportunities as one of the most important parts of their job.

And why not? They want success, recognition, and all the perks that go along with being the best. And they know these are 100% tied to their continued education and growth. It’s simple math: The more prepared they are, the better they perform, the more chance they have for promotion.

All that means that it should also be in your interest to give them these opportunities.

As a business leader, you’re captain, coach, and cheerleader. And it’s your job to do whatever it takes to squeeze the best performance from your team, and set them up for a championship run. I think it was put best by Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll who told 1HUDDLE founder Sam Caucci during a private training session:

«I spend 98% of my day sitting in my office and thinking about what I can do to get my team to play just 1% better.»

In the past, this might have meant sitting through a seminar or sending your workers home with some boring training materials. But we all know that doesn’t work.

The modern workforce has changed. To get that 1% growth every single day, you need to do more than just provide your team with basic training resources and videos.

The disengaged workforce wants something that challenges them. They’re competitive and hungry for growth and career advancement. And when the workplace isn’t competitive or interesting, they’re getting bored and leaving. A recent study found that 9 out of 10 Millennials today consider themselves competitive with 80% flat out saying they’re better than a co-worker.

So how do we take advantage of this new reality and build systems that keep employees engaged, alert, and ultimately excited to work?

It really comes down to two simple things:

Training that’s practical, exciting, and presented in an engaging and competitive way

Rewards that ignite their natural competitiveness

Let’s dive into a step-by-step look at how to create an employee-focused training and program that works for the modern workforce and then look at some specific examples of rewards that we’ve seen motivate and inspire teams.

3 Easy Steps to Designing and Launching a Rewards Program That Actually Works

You want to turn training into something that’s engaging, fun, accessible, works within your team’s schedule, and ultimately is effective.

But before we get into how you’re going to do this, you need to ask yourself why you’re doing it. Start with the basics and ask yourself these questions before moving on:

Where are your team’s skill gaps? What do you need them to get better at right away?

What are important programs, products, or initiatives for your business over the next 30 or 90 days?

What behaviors do you want to change or impact with your team?

Once you’ve got your basics together it’s time to build a training and rewards program that gets your team amped up and ready to compete.

Step 1: Create Your Competition

Modern studies have shown that young workers have an attention span of less than 8 seconds. That’s less than a goldfish, which means how you present your competition needs to be quick, engaging, and quantifiable—any competition must have a very clear playing field.

Which behavior will your team be competing on? Here are a few ideas:

Number of outbound calls made

New clients closed

Use your creativity and turn your competition into a game with clear goals and rewards (we’ll get into that later).

Step 2: Pick Your Date Range

The next step is to decide the length of your competition. How long will they run for? And how often will you run them?

This step is entirely up to you and will depend on things like the time of year, complexity of your competition, and of course, your budget for rewards (we’ll go deep into this later).

In most cases, you’ll want to try to design a program that runs at least monthly, as that will allow you to design your training around the latest information that is important in your business, as well as give your team something to look forward to month-after-month. However, weekly and quarterly competitions can also work.

The key is consistency. When you set your competition schedule, you’re making a promise to your team. Don’t lose their trust.

Step 3: Pick Your Rewards

The last step is probably the most important for your program’s success: What prizes can you offer that will ignite your workforce’s natural competitiveness and get them engaged and excited?

From a high-level view, rewards fall into 3 buckets (which we’ll cover more below):

How you choose your rewards will be determined by what you know about your workers, as well as what your budget can support.

Think about it like this: If you run a hotel chain, I’m sure you’d love to be able to shower your guests with free champagne and comped nights when they show up. But that’s simply not sustainable. Instead, your goal should be to create a culture of repeatable rewards and experiences that make your customers, or in this case your employees, say ‘wow!’

If you’re too lazy or cheap to find rewards that get your team amped up, you’re failing as a leader. Use their competitive nature to your advantage and get them excited. They should be smack talking and going all in with their eyes set solely on the prize you’re providing.

Sure, it’s a big ask. But this is your job. And to make finding those killer rewards even easier, we’ve put together a few ideas to get you started.

25 Employee Reward Ideas (That Aren’t All Cash)

Getting buy-in from your employees means finding the right rewards to motivate and excite them.

And while the Wu-Tang clan put it best when they said cash rules everything about me, dollar bills aren’t always the best way to empower your workforce.

Instead, here’s 37 examples of great employee rewards you can use in your business.

1. Office Perks

Who doesn’t want to shove their achievements in the face of their co-workers? Today’s more competitive workforce definitely does. Which is why workplace perks are fantastic rewards. Not only do they cost you as a company very little, but they show recognition in the workplace to all your employees and create the kind of friendly camaraderie that grows successful companies.

2. Camp Out in the Corner Office

Why it works so well: In most workplaces, the ‘corner office’ or a manager’s office is a sign of respect and accomplishment. Lending out your space for a day or a week to an employee that has earned it through a training program transfers that level of respect to them and not only shows that you recognize their achievement, but that you have the humility to give up your company hierarchy.

3. Dinner with the Boss

Why it works so well: Depending on the size of your company, access to the person at the top can be extremely limited and a sign of respect. Setting up a dinner with the CEO or president for your winner can increase loyalty, give them a chance to pitch their ideas and thoughts to a top decision maker, and make them feel noticed and recognized. As an added bonus, it also helps your boss connect with workers they might not normally be able to, fostering a better sense of community and culture at the company.

4. The Best Parking Spot

Why it works so well: Like your office, a parking spot that’s close to the office or in the shade shows a high-level of value and accomplishment. Give it up to your winner for a week as a daily reminder of how you value them. As an added bonus, you could even get a small sign with their name printed on it to show that the space is really ‘theirs’ for the week.

5. Assistant for the Week

Why it works so well: Your winner won the competition because they’re competitive, and because they work hard, and giving them a little help by hiring a personal assistant for the week is a great way to recognize the time and effort they put in every single day. It also can become an aspirational experience, showing them how much time gets eaten up by administrative or menial tasks and how much they can actually get done when they have the opportunity to focus solely on the big picture.

6. Office Update Budget

Why it works so well: While most of these perks are temporary changes, you can also reward winners with an office perk that lasts past a single day or week. Giving them a budget to upgrade or redecorate their office is a great way to create a lasting reminder that you recognize their hard work, as well as give them a space they feel good about coming into day after day.

7. Free Lunch for the Team (Your Choice, Of Course)

Why it works so well: Everybody loves food. But we all have personal tastes. Giving your winner the chance to order their favorite dishes and then sharing it with the team empowers them while also providing a great perk for the entire office. If you’re bored of basic catering or a pizza party, try something like an office bbq or even bringing in a private chef to cook for you on site.

Experiences

A recent study by Harris Group found that 72 percent of millennials prefer to spend more money on experiences than on material items. So while perks and special swag are still great rewards, offering up exclusive experiences can do even more to show that you align with your workforce’s values.

Even better, by offering up experiences, you’re creating a reward that your workforce brings back into the office through re-telling what happened and instils some serious FOMO when they post pictures of where they’ve been.

8. Festival or Sporting Event Tickets

Why it works so well: It’s pretty much impossible to find someone who doesn’t love either a certain kind of music or a specific sports team. Not only that, but these events are prime spots for social media posts, giving your winner a chance to show off. Find out before what sort of events are happening near you and grab a pair of great tickets as a reward.

9. Holiday in the Sun, on the Company

Why it works so well: Despite so many modern workplaces offering ‘unlimited vacations’, a new study from jobs site Glassdoor says that U.S. workers on average have taken just 54% of their allotted vacation time. Forcing your winner to take time off not only gives them a well-needed rest, but signals to the rest of your team that it’s OK to take the time they’ve earned and can help create a happier, more productive culture.

10. Wine Tasting or Brewery Tour

Why it works so well: If your winner likes to wind down with a bottle of beer or a glass of wine, why not send them somewhere local to up their taste level? Let them bring a friend or significant other along for the ride. Just make sure you book the tour for a Friday or Saturday to make them feel like they can really relax and enjoy themselves.

11. VIP Access to Their Favorite Band

Why it works so well: Music festivals are great for their overall vibe, but for real music lovers, a dedicated concert is such a better experience. Check online to see who’s coming to town and book VIP tickets well in advance. Not only does this create a truly exclusive experience, but it shows your team that you’ve been thinking about rewarding them in advance.

12. Extreme Adventure Day

Why it works so well: The benefits of exercise on our performance in the workplace are well documented, but the last thing you want to reward your winner with is a trip to the treadmill. Instead, look for an extreme adventure experience like ziplining, rock climbing, or even kayaking. Not only will this give them an experience they can talk about and share, but exercising creates a sense of euphoria and can even lead to extended periods of increased happiness.

13. Cruise for Two

Why it works so well: If your work is demanding, it’s not only hard to find time to spend with loved ones, but that time often consists of eating or decompressing over some Netflix. However, researchers from the University of Michigan have found that more access to time with people we care about makes us happier and less likely to become depressed at home and at work. Try giving your winner some stress-free downtime by booking a romantic dinner cruise or other date night for them to take their partner out on.

14. Spa Day

Why it works so well: Smooth jazz. Endless attention. Cucumber water. Need we say more? Show appreciation to your winner with some dedicated ‘me time’ by giving them a spa day or other special treatment.

The Special Treatment

Not all of your rewards have to be based on items or experiences. And in fact, it’s sometimes easier to single out and recognize an employee than you think. Even without spending a dime.

While special treatment in the workplace can go wrong if it shows favoritism, using it as a reward shows that it’s clearly merit based and can be inspiring for everyone.

15. Take the Afternoon Off

Why it works so well: More than just a bit of down-time while the rest of the world is working, giving your winner a Friday afternoon off can let them get a jump start on the weekend or plan a trip out of town with friends. Sure, the rest of the team will be jealous when they start packing up at noon, but that’s the point. They earned it.

16. Attend a Conference of Their Choice

Why it works so well: As we pointed out before, millennial workers are desperate for a leg-up in the workplace. And giving them access to the smartest people in their career path is a great way to give them that. Find conferences in your city or state that line up with what your team is interested in (and what you want them to learn) and pay for the winner to go. Even better, buy two tickets and let them bring a co-worker of their choice.

17. Work From Home

Why it works so well: Your commute is a way to mentally prepare for your day at work. Yet, for most workers their bus ride or drive in is far from inspiring. In fact, a study by psychologist Daniel Kahneman and economist Alan Krueger revealed that, even among our least favorite activities like household chores, commuting ranked dead last. Try giving your winner a break from their commute and a chance to work from home.

18. Casual Friday Whenever They Want

Why it works so well: If you want your winner to feel recognized and you have a workplace dress code in effect, what better way than to let them come to work in whatever they want? Not only will this make them more comfortable at work, but it’s a day-long reminder of their achievement and a way for them to stand out from the rest of the team.

19. Lazy Monday Morning

Why it works so well: Just like leaving late on a Friday, giving your winner a late start at the beginning of the week lets them make more plans for the weekend. It also recognizes them for their achievement when they come into work, and can even make them happier all day long if it means an easier commute in not during rush hour.

When it comes to gifts, they say it’s better to give than to receive. But when it comes to a merit-based reward, the social stigmas go away and we’re free to enjoy our gift guilt-free. So whether it’s a luxury item or something simple, swag of all sorts is a great way to reward your winner for their hard work.

20. Tech Accessories Like Headphones, Speakers, or a Smart Watch

Why it works so well: Just like the laptop or iPad, tech accessories are one of the hottest gift items out there and can instil some serious competitive rivalry in your team. Pick something current and that can be used daily as a reminder to your winner that you recognize the hard work they put in.

21. Uber or Lyft Ride Credit

Why it works so well: If you live in a city with ride-sharing, your employees most likely use it. They might even use it to get into work on a daily basis. Give them a credit with the service they use the most that will cover a month of trips.

Team-building activities

More than just a reward for your sole winner, offering a special event for the entire team creates a stronger culture and makes your winner feel like a champion of the people. However, make sure that each of these rewards has a focus on the winner so they still feel recognized and empowered in how the activity takes place.

22. Movie Day in the Office

Why it works so well: When we experience an emotion as a group, like laughter during a comedy or fear during a thriller, we create a strong psychological bond. What better way to create a stronger team than to take a slow afternoon off to watch a movie in the office? As an added bonus, let your winner pick the film.

23. Team Off-Site

Why it works so well: Getting everyone out of the office for some activities and games is another great way to build a strong culture and get your team to know each other better. Pick activities that are accessible to your entire team and get your winner to act as a ‘team leader’ to make them feel empowered.

The Intangibles

Not all rewards need to carry a monetary value, and sometimes it’s the intangible rewards that carry a weight and value that inspires your workers. Think about small gestures you can do that will give your winner a sense of pride and let them know that they are respected by the entire team.

24. A Well-Designed and Honest Thank You Note

Why it works so well: It might seem like a cop out or a throwaway reward, but a well-designed and thoughtful thank you note can motivate and propel workers to keep putting in their all. The key here is to put in the effort to show how much you appreciate the worker. As Margaret Shepherd explains in The Art of the Handwritten Note, a proper thank you note has 5 characteristics: It’s generous, specific, prompt, succinct and personal.

25. High-Five from the CEO or an Important Client

Why it works so well: Is there anything as great as a good ol’ high five? Only when it comes from someone unexpected. Take the basketball team the Washington Wizards, for example, who had star player John Wall come down and give their sales rep a high-five during a sales meeting as a reward. It cost them nothing, but was an unforgettable experience for their winner and their entire team.

Remember What We Said About Cash?

Well, we lied (a little!)

It’s hard to beat a couple hundred bucks as a reward for a job well done. We all could use more money in our lives and while there are certainly more imaginative options out there, if you’re stuck for ideas this is an easy fallback.

Creating a rewards system for your team is an incredibly easy way to keep them engaged, happy, loyal, and motivated. And as we’ve seen, you don’t need to go all out on one big effort. The key is consistency.

Make rewards and competitions part of your culture and you’ll be building an educated and emotionally invested workforce that’ll stick with you for the long run.

The Special Benefits of Rewarding Yourself You Need to Know

“Here is your Ice Cream”. Boy, I loved hearing those words as a kid after completing a task assigned by my parents.

When I was young, my parents used to take me out for ice cream if I completed a sizable task I was assigned, for example, cleaning the garden. The more the effort to complete the task, such as scoring good grades, the better the reward was, like a bicycle.

We all know the drill. Do something and get something in return. The more the effort/energy/time spent, the better the reward.

It is the most famous strategy to get things done for one simple reason.

Because it works! You can use the same principle to reward yourself.

To understand the purpose behind the activity I recommend you to read through the article. But, for the busy bees, you can go directly to the exercise.

Every single person knows the technique, every single person has been a part of the technique. In spite of the knowledge and the proven results behind its success, when was the last time you rewarded yourself?

Why does a personal reward system work?

Reward and actions are closely related. Think it through. You perform an action expecting a reward.

Though the reward does not always show up as an award or a trophy, you expect some form of return for the effort you put in.

No matter what, your action is tied to some outcome. The problem is, the result can sometimes take a long time to show up.

You will not lose weight the day you worked out. You will lose body fat over time. In the meantime, you might lose the motivation to keep going when you do not see the result.

If you put in a simple personal reward system, you find the reason to keep going. The magnitude of the reward is not directly proportional to motivation. Even the smallest of rewards can get you all pumped up to do more.

To top that, dopamine is highly addictive no matter what form it shows up in. You crave for more and more dopamine. By building a reward system for yourself, you are using your dopamine to your advantage.

How to reward yourself for meeting goals?

Do you believe you can motivate yourself by rewarding yourself?

You might the concept silly and wonder how is rewarding yourself important? But as silly as it sounds, the method works. When you have put in a lot of effort and get an award for your efforts in public, you do have a feeling “I deserve it”.

When you are on a journey to achieve your long term goal, unfortunately, there is no external entity to recognize the hard work you have put in.

You might have spent the whole week barely sleeping, sweating it all out. Only you know how hard you have worked for it.

The only person who can reward you for your efforts is YOURSELF. The only person who can motivate you to keep going is also YOURSELF.

So do not miss out on the opportunity to reward yourself a treat, because you definitely deserve it.

Good ways to reward yourself in little ways

Every time you do a good job or accomplish a significant task, reward yourself in small proportions. A good place to start is rewarding yourself for meeting goals that are of reasonable size.

When you hear the word reward, what came to your mind? I am guessing you thought about something materialistic and had a reasonable cost like a pair of shoes, sunglasses, sound-canceling headphones and whatnot.

But the reward does not have to be lavish or extravagant. Any reward, big or small helps in motivating yourself. The key thing is making sure the reward makes you happy. For example, if you get a book as a reward but you do not enjoy reading, it does not help.

There is no one fit for all reward system. Since only you know the best way to reward yourself, you can build a personal reward system of your own. You have a million different ways to reward yourself if you think enough. Here are a few reward ideas.

Drink a glass of wine

Buy yourself your favorite chocolate

Buy a ticket to that show

Heck, you can even order from Amazon and ask them for a gift wrap. When the delivery person shows up at your door, it would seem like a gift from you to yourself in real.

How can I reward myself for free?

The reward does not always have to be tangible. Rewards can be non-materialistic too. Here is how you can reward yourself without money

If you are wondering you can do the same even without accomplishing any task, you have to change your mindset. Make yourself work for the reward such that when you get the reward, you believe you deserve it. Not only have you got your reward, but you also now have got a dopamine rush to do more for another reward.

If you buy yourself things or do what you like doing whenever you like it, you are losing the opportunity to condition yourself to do better.

When you get a treat, you feel special, respected and cared for. This helps you build good habits and maintain good routines. Yes, even if the reward is from yourself!

4 Tips for effective self rewarding

1. Make sure your reward system is effective:

Everyone has their own personal interests.

A chocolate bar for reading a book might serve as a great motivation for you to read another book. For your friend, it might not seem worth the effort. He might prefer an evening out with friends instead.

Do not look up for reward ideas on the internet. Reward yourself suitably with rewards that make you feel happy.

2. Your rewards should not have a direct substitute:

Your reward should not have an easy substitute that you can enjoy without any effort.

If your reward was playing with your neighbor’s dog, when you have a dog yourself, you might end up taking that alternative.

Gaining the reward must make you happy. Missing the reward must make you feel the pinch.

If the getting or missing reward does not make any difference to your emotions, you need to rethink your perks. If your system is ineffective, the reward will fail to be motivational enough.

3. Reward proportionally for the effort put in:

I am stating the obvious here.

You cannot reward yourself with a new pair of expensive shoes for studying half a day. You will run out of money before you run out of tasks to do. On the other hand, do not gift yourself miserly chocolate for the hard work of writing a whole book.

If you give yourself massive rewards for small tasks, you cannot scale that model. As your tasks get tougher, you will expect a bigger reward. In short, your system cannot keep up.

Your reward should match the value of the effort you put in. The longer and harder the task was, the bigger your reward should be.

The reward should be such that your inner self should scream “Hell Yeah, I deserve that”

4. Do not reward to cancel the effort:

The reward that you give yourself should not be harmful to the progress you are making or the goal you are setting.

For example, if your goal is to develop a set of six-pack abs, you cannot reward yourself with ice-cream for completing your workout every day. If you spent one hour working productively with no technology distractions, you cannot reward yourself 1 hour of carefree time spending.

Your reward cannot turn into an excuse for making things worse for you. Many people who start working out take it as a reason to eat more junk. When they notice their weight increasing, they complain about exercise not aiding with weight loss.

At the same time, do not worry about an occasional reward even if it hampers your goal a bit. Eating your favorite sundae once a week is acceptable if you maintain a healthy routine.

But use your best judgment based on the habit, goal, and reward. If your goal is to quit smoking, an occasional cigarette can slip you right back into the habit. If you want to reward yourself for saving money, don’t gift yourself an expensive item.

Make a sensible reward system such that it not only motivates you but also keeps you on track of your goal. This isn’t a complicated science.

There are no hard and fast rules or the right structure for building a self-reward system. All you need is a little common sense and understanding of the purpose of the system. You must push yourself one step further towards your goals using this system.

Exercise for rewarding yourself

Let us do an exercise. You will set up a reward system for yourself.

List down the top 3 tasks which you have postponed for a long time. These tasks can be big or small, it does not matter. Stick to only 3 for now, neither more nor less.

Next, list down the rewards which make you happy and seem neither extravagant nor insignificant. Decide on a reward for completing each of these tasks. Follow the tips mentioned above to make sure the reward is effective and proportional to the work done.

Keep in mind that you must build a personal reward system that helps you accomplish your goal. If any part of your reward system goes against that rule, you need to replace the perk you set for yourself.

Experience yourself how the reward mechanism boosts your own motivation.

Leave a comment on what are the 3 tasks you came up with for your reward system.

Conclusion

Do not underestimate the power of self-rewarding. I had a habit of working all the time, exhausting myself only and dragging myself to bed only to return to the same routine the next day.

Over time, such an effort can turn hard to sustain if the result shows no sign of arriving. So do not forget to reward yourself for working hard.

Rewarding is an age-old mechanism of getting things done. You have seen that applied by leaders on people.

But in this article, you have understood how to use the rewarding technique to reward your own self to get things done from yourself. Learning how to reward yourself is an effective method to help you jump out of bed each morning.

You went through an exercise to come up with rewards for yourself for completing tasks. Make this a practice and you will be looking forward to a reward every day.

Pat yourself on the back. You have made it through all the steps of Phase 2: Gain Momentum with Routine. You are now stepping into the final phase of boosting your productivity.

My goal is to help people 1 million people pursue their dreams. Share the article and help me with this mission.

You don’t need a reward to join the Productive Club, do you?

Maxim Dsouza has spent over a decade experimenting and finding various time management techniques to improve his productivity. He strongly understands the fact that time is a limited commodity and tries to make every second count. He has extensive experience in leadership in startups, small businesses, and large corporations.

He has helped people of different professions and age groups gain clarity on their goals, improve focus, revise their time management skills and develop an awareness of their psychological cognitive biases.

How To Answer “How Do You Like to Be Managed?”

Find a Job You Really Want In

While you can never really tell what questions you’ll encounter in a job interview, there are a few that are more common than others. One of these is, “How do you like to be managed?” This may sound like a trick question, but in this article, we’ll show you how to answer this tactfully and informatively.

Focus on the positives and explain how you do like being managed, versus how you don’t like being managed.

Frame negative experiences as learning opportunities.

Avoid talking about topics that involve your managers that were not work-related, like after-hours drinking adventures with coworkers.

Research what the company is looking for in an employee and think about how it meshes with what you are looking for in a job.

Why Do Employers Ask “How Do You Like to Be Managed?”

Employers ask “how do you like to be managed” to determine whether you’ll be a good fit on the team. A hiring manager or recruiter might not be your direct supervisor if you’re hired, but they may have a close working relationship with your supervisor. They know that how well you gel with your boss is just as important as your qualifications and accomplishments for forecasting your success in the future.

You’ve read the job description, and you know this sort of job interview question is quite common (even in phone interviews). It’s important to be honest because this directly relates to your day-to-day working relationship with a future manager. Interview questions and answers aren’t just for fun – they help determine how good of a fit this potential professional relationship is.

You’re not doing anyone any favors by trying to people please, so be prepared with a response using our interview tips below and you’ll have your dream job in no time.

How to Answer “How Do You Like to Be Managed”

In order to craft your answer to this question before the interview, you will have to do a little research. Before you can answer this question in an interview, you will need to be able to answer it yourself.

Ask yourself questions. What do you look for in a manager? What do you look for in a team or work environment? Do you like more management or do you like more independence? How would you like that relationship to change over time?

Consider what worked for you in the past. To start answering these questions, think back to a time where you really liked your work environment. Come up with a list of experiences where you did like how you worked with your managers and why you liked it.

Frame negative experiences positively. It is OK to mention aspects of management you didn’t like, but frame it as a learning experience. They will likely ask you what didn’t work well with you in the past, so think of answers to these questions in advance.

Research the company. Once you know what you want in a manager and in a work environment, you will need to research how you will fit in with the company. It’s great to know how you like to be managed, but if that management style isn’t in tune with the company, the job likely won’t be a good fit.

For example, if you say you only work well in start-up work environments and you are applying to a massive corporation, they may dismiss you as a potential employee because of the work fit.

To find out what the company looks for in an employee, research how the company you are applying for is organized. Take a look at their social media pages, LinkedIn, their profile on Zippia and on company reviews sites like Glassdoor.

Research the company values and ask yourself, do they match my own? If they do, find ways to incorporate that into how you like to be managed.

Be prepared with examples. An interview tip that works for pretty much every common interview question a recruiter or hiring manager could ask you: be prepared with stories. Whether you’re talking about career goals, strengths, or weaknesses, good interviewing practice requires a story to go along with your claims

Come up with examples of times when a management style worked for you (or didn’t) and provide some insight into what you learned from the experience. Recruiters and hiring managers want to know that you see yourself what works and what doesn’t.

Understand behavioral interview questions. Behavioral interview questions and answers are all about determining what worked in the past so you can succeed in the future. They’re different from softball questions like “tell me about yourself,” and include questions like “tell me about a time you failed” instead.

Behavioral interview questions ask about past behavior, so answering requires you to form questions to ask yourself first and foremost. A lot of common interview questions are behavioral, so practice with the STAR method (situation, task, action, result), and you’ll have a winning answer for each and every one.

Think of questions to ask the hiring manager. Since you’re talking about management styles anyway, this is a good time to ask the recruiter or hiring manager about how you’re likely to be managed at this position. You could say something like “tell me about your management style.” Just don’t go overboard here; you’re still the one interviewing, after all.

Avoid certain topics. Finally, make sure you avoid certain topics when talking about what you look for in a manager and how you like to be managed. Keep the answer work-related. Everyone loves being able to go out with coworkers and managers for happy hour after work, but that’s not what needs to be talked about in an interview.

At the end of the day, they want to know how you can fit into their work environment and how to best utilize your skills to get the best deliverables.

Avoid partying topics, trash-talking old companies and managers, and negative stories. Shape your experiences so that you can show how you will best fit into the position you are applying for.

“How Do You Like to Be Managed” Example Answers

Here are some example answers to help you craft the perfect response about how you like to be managed:

I like a dynamic work environment in which coworkers work together as a team. I like having clear direction on tasks and projects from my manager, with the ability to meet and collaborate with them on projects. However, once my part on the project is clear, I like being able to work independently and then bring my work to the table with my teammates.

I like working closely with my managers and knowing what my tasks are in advance. I am fine working independently or in teams on projects. I like brainstorming independently and bringing my ideas to the table to help drive innovation on projects. I welcome any and all feedback from my managers to improve as an employee.

I enjoy having a lot of creative freedom on projects and being able to individualize my deliverables. My relationship with managers is usually a mentee-mentor relationship, in that they help give me direction and guidance during projects. I am deadline-driven but work best at my own pace within deadlines. I like knowing that my managers can trust me to do a good job at the task and know that I will ask for help if needed.

Examples of Bad Answers

Sometimes it can be just has helpful to see what not to do as it is to see what to do, so here are some examples of answers to the question, “How do you like to be managed?” that you should never use:

I’m great with anything, really. I don’t have a huge preference.

I really hate being micromanaged. I need to be able to do things my way at my speed.

My last boss was really my ideal manager. She was tough but kind, hardworking but fun, and one time she bought the whole office drinks when we had to stay late to finish a project.

How to Be Prepared for “How Do You Like to Be Managed” Interview Question

This is a question you should have prepared an answer for in advance. Crafting your answer beforehand allows you to tease out experiences that were positive and highlight you as an employee versus focusing on management types that you dislike.

The purpose of this question is to find out how you interact with coworkers and managers. They want to know how you feel you best fit in the company and after hearing your answer, they will determine if they think you are a good fit.

Generally, they want to find someone who can do two things: work independently and work well with oversight. Doing research into the company’s team dynamics is an important step in finding out what they’re looking for in a candidate.

They are also looking to see how you view relationships with managers that may have not worked well. When you first think of how you want to be managed, you are likely thinking of the exact opposite: how you do not want to be managed.

The last thing your interviewer wants to hear is several stories of you bashing old managers. If you are open to speaking negatively about previous managers, what does that say about you if you don’t mesh well with your new manager?

Most people have had a negative experience or two, so crafting your response in an interview to show your experiences as constructive, versus negative, is crucial.

“How Do You Like to be Managed?” FAQs

How do you answer “How do you like to be managed?”

You answer “How do you like to be managed?” by thinking through your past experience, framing your answer in a positive way, and researching the culture of the company.

Your past experience with managers and other authorities will inform you of how you actually like to be managed, but you want to make sure you state your answer in a positive way, even if those experiences were negative.

Focus on what you do like instead of what you don’t, and look into the company culture to try to get a feel for what they value in managerial styles. Then, if you can, try to align your answer with that as much as is truthful.

What are the types of management styles?

The types of management styles are autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. These are the three overarching management styles, but there are many more that fall into those categories.

The autocratic style is typically the most authoritarian style with a boss giving orders without much — if any — feedback or input from their employees. The democratic style, on the other hand, still leaves the authority with the boss but invites collaboration with employees in decision- and policy-making.

The laissez-faire managment style is the most hands-off of the three styles, where the boss might assign work but not get involved again unless the employees ask for their help.

What does, “How do you like to be managed?” mean?

“How do you like to be managed?” means the interviewer is asking what kind of leadership you thrive under and your expectations for your relationship with your boss.

You may prefer more authoritarian leadership that simply gives orders, for example, or you may prefer a more collaborative approach or even one that gets minimally involved with your work.

Interviewers ask this question because they want to know if you’ll mesh well with their organization’s culture and your future boss’s management style.

Final Thoughts

Being asked how you like to be managed in an interview can be scary if you did not prepare an answer beforehand. However, taking the time to craft a response beforehand shows that you thought deeply about what you are looking for in a position and how you will best fit into the company’s framework.

If you need to research a company, check them out on Zippia. If you need more career advice, we have several articles to help you ace your interview and get the job you want.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.