Reward yourself with a star chart
Did you have a star chart as a kid? Remember the thrill of putting a sticker on the big piece of paper on the wall or fridge? Whether it was doing your chores, practicing multiplication tables, eating your vegetables, or getting to school on time, the potential to put a sticker on the chart was motivating. Often you received a benefit or reward when the chart was full. Goal motivated individuals strived to achieve a full chart. Others gained satisfaction from picking the coolest sticker to use for the day or task.
Once we reach adulthood, we stop using stickers and charts to convince us to clear the table after dinner, take out the trash, or get to work on time.
But would having a star chart be a bad thing for our professional lives?
Perhaps having a chart for specific tasks would keep you focused. It might be a great motivational tool for completing the items on your list that drag you down or are not exciting to do. It is a great tool to drive behaviors that will have an impact on your business.
The star chart approach works best on tasks that need to be done regularly. It could be based on number of times completed, such as calling leads weekly. You can focus on a task that requires time commitment like writing content for an hour daily. Look at your to do list and pull out those items that you are most challenged to do consistently or an item you know will have the greatest impact on your business if you do it regularly.
Once you have identified those tasks that need to be done regularly, set a target for how much to complete in a week or month. Be realistic. If you are wanting to be more consistent with calling leads and have struggled to complete a call each day, do not set an initial target of forty per day. Start with something challenging but realistic like ten per week.
With a target for your task(s) set, get out a piece of paper and create a grid with the number of boxes you need for the week or month. You can get creative or keep it a simple lined grid. You can use your kid’s glitter pens and a ruler or an excel spreadsheet to create it. Whatever is going to be easy for you to build so you can visually track your progress.
Then give yourself a sticker (or a checkmark or smiley face) each time you do the task. Whether it is calling leads, writing content for social media, or holding your team one-on-ones, you deserve a sticker when you complete those tasks.
When you hit your target, give yourself a reward – take a walk, have a cookie, do yoga, call a friend, watch an extra episode of your favorite show. Select a reward that allows you to appreciate your hard work and recognize you focused on the right activities. For some people, a tangible reward may not be necessary. Simply seeing your progress and reflecting on what you did will provide a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep going.
Kids are not the only humans that benefit from star charts. We all need a way to stay focused and motivated. Visually seeing progress can keep you making smart decisions about how you spend your time each day. Placing a sticker on a grid is an easy way to build pride in all you have done and appreciate the steps you have taken to impact your business.
p.s. If you struggle with the notion of building your own chart, send me a message and I will send you one.