Stakes And Rewards

Let’s talk about stakes and rewards that is rewards and not these stakes but we’ll get to that.

All right.

So what’s this technique.

The technique is to focus on small rewards because it feels good to be good.

Right.

We learned about science of motivation and at the end of the day we need a reward system in place for

our learning.

It has to give us something back whether it’s extrinsic rewards or internal rewards which we learned

become more and more important the longer we do a task the longer the process becomes of learning.

Now this technique really uses the human psychology and social mechanism to create this system that

gives you discipline and motivation.

So the reward is something that we’ve already talked about.

We know that we should do things that make us feel good.

We have procrastination which makes us feel bad.

But as soon as we start working and we reward ourself at the end of the day let’s say you’ve been eating

healthy for six days straight.

So on the seventh day you get to cheat and eat pizza and pasta and whatever you want that’s a reward

system.

And we also have a reward system where you feel good getting better and better and you put yourself

in a community where you get rewarded internally from people thinking highly of your work.

People recognizing your work that’s internal reward.

But what about this steak thing.

Well steaks are important because it asks you what’s on the line.

What happens if I fail at this goal or system for example with steaks you can announce your goal and

a deadline a finish line so that you have your community your friends your teachers keep you accountable.

What happens when you don’t achieve your goal.

If not learning or not achieving that goal or system doesn’t affect you in any way.

There’s no negative consequences.

You’re more likely to just not care.

And that’s what steak says steaks is.

You have to have something on the line.

That’s what humans have internal drives.

We all have drives to have a successful career to be respected because things are on the line.

We want to provide for our family.

We want to be able to give good education to our kids.

These are all stakes things are on the line.

That’s why we have drive.

If nothing mattered in this world if we didn’t care about money if we didn’t care about relationships

well then we wouldn’t get anything accomplished.

Steaks are the things that we lose by now learning by not improving.

So one strategy is if you decide on a goal announce it.

Go to those your two mastery group.

Go to your friends and say by this date I’m going to accomplish this.

And if you don’t what happens.

Well one of the popular strategies is to say hey if I don’t accomplishes then I have to pay you 100

dollars or if I don’t accomplish this then I can’t go out with my friends have some sort of steaks.

As Robert Morrow says who wrote the book Kaizen small rewards are the perfect encouragement.

Not only are they inexpensive and convenient but they also stimulate the internal motivation required

for long lasting change reward yourself.

But at the same time what is at stake.

Hold yourself accountable for your goals and by having rewards and stakes in place you are more likely

to succeed in your pursuit.