Carrots, or Sticks? Motivation, or Looking Forward

Are you trying to motivate yourself with carrots? Or sticks?

The carrot is a reward in front of you that keeps you going. You know what the stick is, right?

Since, in this application of the old metaphor, you are both the “master” and the proverbial donkey, the choice of which method to use is up to you.

If you have ADHD, you most likely rely a LOT on sticks - threats - to get things done.

But if you’re hoping for “carrots,” you may not be thinking about your role, of putting the carrots in place.

You could call it, “Creating a reason to get out of bed.”

You may have big carrots in mind, but you might forget that you need some little carrots, too.

The carrot can be anything you choose: something tangible, an activity or experience, or a even a feeling.

Recognition from yourself is a carrot. Summarizing your small and large accomplishments as you go through your day is a carrot.

What do you enjoy, that you can put out in front of yourself to make it more enjoyable and rewarding to move through your day? Could rewarding yourself change how you feel about what you do?