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2.5: Rewarding Your Efforts

  • Page ID
    259745
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    Rewarding Your Efforts

    Turning your dreams into goals isn’t just about the work you put in, it’s also about recognizing and celebrating what you achieve along the way. Rewards help keep your motivation strong by giving you something to look forward to, whether it’s an inner sense of pride or an external treat. Understanding how both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards work can help you stay driven and make your hard work feel even more worthwhile.

    Intrinsic rewards are intangible, meaning not visible or concrete, and usually involve emotions or thoughts. For example, a sense of accomplishment, pride, or personal satisfaction are all intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards, on the other hand, are tangible and concrete. They are visible or material items, such as a trophy, a prize, or a special treat.

    Planning for both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards can help keep your motivation high because you have clear reasons to celebrate your progress and hard work. Intrinsic rewards might include feeling proud of yourself, enjoying a boost in confidence, or knowing you did something difficult — all of which build your self-efficacy and belief in your abilities. Extrinsic rewards might include going on a trip, treating yourself to a nice dinner, or buying something special.

    While intrinsic rewards tend to be more powerful, because no one can take those feelings away from you, extrinsic rewards add extra fun and incentive. Why not plan for both and fully enjoy the results of your hard work?

    PRO TIP:

    I made it a goal in college to have a 3.2 minimum GPA and to be active in 3-6 clubs each semester. And addition to academic learning, I also wanted to expand my knowledge on anything and everything, and to become a part of my college community. I took 18-19 credits each semester and had a 90 minute road trip commute to campus, which significantly limited my time for extracurricular activities. I ended up not taking out the necessary time to study for my classes and this hit me hard after I completed my first year and noted that my overall GPA was less than what I had hoped for. I knew I had to control of my situation and made time for both my classes and my extracurricular activities period of physical calendar work best for me. Each night, I spent just a few minutes making a to-do list of items that needed to get done the following day (studying, research, homework, etc.). From that to-do list, I'd create a detailed block time schedule for myself for the following day. I learned that unexpected things happen and that I had to prioritize each item by importance. Sometimes that meant not attending a campus event I had looked forward to because I had to finish a class assignment. So if my car suddenly broke down or there was an accident on my way to the campus library that cut into my study time, that meant I needed to make up that time by not attending a campus event or not going out for lunch with my friends before class. Prioritizing what was important really helped me make the most of my busy schedule and in the end I was glad for it because it helped me stay on track of my goals of getting good grades and being able to partake in college life at the same time.

    - Rabyia Ahmed, Academic Advisor


    This page titled 2.5: Rewarding Your Efforts is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Heather Burns, Connie Ogle, & Allyson Valentine.

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