Rewarding Triumph Over Tedious Tasks

Menial tasks – errands, preparing copies for meetings, updating databases, compiling spreadsheets, typing meeting notes, and the list goes on – aren’t how any of us want to spend our time.

Yet, no matter what level of business you are is in; chances are you need to do some from time to time.

Want to know how I get through it?

I use a simple program learned years ago thanks to the Harvard Business Review: I reward myself.

And I do it in different ways to keep it fresh. There are several ways to approach this, but some I find best are:

• A regenerative reward: doing something that makes your mind and body feel good like stretching, taking yourself out to lunch, et al.
• A productive reward: doing something that makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something beyond the menial task such as moving a meeting to a great lunch spot or cleaning out your desk.
• A concurrent reward: this is where you reward yourself DURING the actual task, often because it is so boring and tedious. I do this by flipping on the TV or turning on some sweet ‘90s jams.
• A cumulative reward: yes, you can even create a point system and reward yourself into that system accordingly. A great example would be re-loading a gift or coffee card for yourself as you rack up points.