DailyInspire 2025

 

 

 "The behaviors that get rewarded, get repeated." – Charles Duhigg

 

 

Reward Mechanism

 

Clouds in the sky. Mountains behind the clouds. Dark, gloomy... How do you get to work? How do you wake up after a beautiful, dreamy journey? (Today I was in Turkey, but not in yet another all-inclusive resort, rather in a real one. That is, in one I had never been to before – until today. 😊 Many adventures, many people met... It was a long and interesting dream.)

How do you get to action? I have a short, helpful piece of advice: DON’T THINK ABOUT IT!

Exactly: don't think about what you have to do, how much work it will take, or how much effort it requires. How you need to prepare, how to dress, where to go. Simply don’t clutter your mind with thoughts about what needs to be done! These thoughts can be more exhausting than the task itself. Don’t think about it – just start doing it. Right now, in this very second!

I use this technique. (Because, unfortunately, like every human being, I have a certain – HUGE – reluctance towards work, and my brain seeks comfort: relaxing with a movie or another time-consuming distraction... There is nothing we can do. The brain gravitates toward comfort – that’s just how it is.)

More importantly – I use this technique successfully. It works!

An example from today:

I wake up in the morning. I see bad weather and mountains shrouded in clouds. I allow only positive thoughts into my head: "IT’S BEAUTIFUL! This is the time for action. Clouds are beautiful in their grayness. So many shapes, so many hidden colors. Inspiration!"

After this short thought, a quick analysis: Morning. Exercise, water, vinegar, olive oil, turmeric, avocado, exercise, blog, newsletter, cycling. Write it down. No overthinking, no reflection. Tasks set – time for action!

I exercise (push-ups, sit-ups), drink what I need to drink, eat what I need to eat (vitamins and other "smelly stuff"), exercise again, and act. Let’s move on. No hesitation. Right now, I am at the blogging stage. Next, the newsletter, then off on my bike. Checked! Done. No unnecessary philosophy or overthinking!

Repeating my life motto and the guiding principle of this blog and the entire HMF method:

Strength lies in simplicity!

Don't overcomplicate, don't look for excuses, don’t give your amygdala the opportunity to find a way to pull you back into the comfort zone. We take action!

And after taking action – what do we expect? Come on, say it… don’t be shy… Yes. REWARD!

 

Reward Mechanism

 

As one of the foundations of the HMF method.

Why today, when it’s a Health day in the HMF method? Because yesterday, I gave myself an unexpected reward. A reward, unfortunately, not the best one... But I need some excuse for what I did.

My reward? Halva and sesame snaps.* Even though I had clearly and explicitly written in capital letters in my goals: 4. DIET: 0% SUGAR.

*Two sweet delights connected by sesame but differing in texture. Halva is a creamy, slightly crumbly mass full of sesame aroma, melting in the mouth like an oriental dessert of the gods. Sesame snaps are its crunchy cousin – caramelized sesame seeds bound together with honey or sugar, perfect as a quick, energy-boosting snack. Both treats are not just a taste of Polish tradition but also a solid dose of healthy fats and magnesium (I found some positives 😊).

I didn’t meet this goal. I put it on the red card, and unfortunately (or fortunately, because it was delicious... and, worst of all, incredibly addictive – one could even say habit-forming. Yes, sugar is as addictive as a drug – studies confirm this with certainty), I consider it my weekly reward. I’m counting it already for tomorrow – for reflection day, when I should have a reward for the entire week.

Oh well. Eaten. Reward claimed. 😊

As you can see, sometimes you can slightly bend, adapt, and make the HMF method more flexible for yourself. Not everything always goes according to plan because we are not robots! But it’s important to remember the rules of the game. To remember to apply the basics and, for example, to avoid rewarding myself tomorrow, ensuring the DIET: 0% SUGAR goal is met by the end of the week (it’s on the red card) as an additional goal for the day.

I’m already counting it today – because this will be a new habit. Slowly, carefully, step by step – I’m starting to implement it. I’m not waiting. I’m not thinking about it. Today – zero sugar.

That’s it. Simple.

The reward in this case?

An additional sense of fulfillment. Awareness that okay – I slipped up, but I quickly corrected my mistake.

 

The reward – better well-being!

Bad habits also provide rewards. Bad behaviors often do too.

My halva and sesame snaps? The reward was a brief moment of taste-induced bliss and a sugar rush. The reward was sitting with my family and enjoying a pleasant time crunching sweets and sipping warm tea.

Yes – I received an instant reward. A fast reward.

This is a good reward – because it brings general pleasure.

The time has come for me to find a good reward for implementing POSITIVE habits and completing daily tasks.

As I mentioned earlier – even thinking about running, for example, can be exhausting. Let alone running itself! At the beginning of this sport’s journey, it may seem almost intimidating. It may seem like you are only getting negative immediate effects: sweat, heart pounding, lung pain, legs feeling like jelly, etc.

That’s why a reward mechanism is necessary. An IMMEDIATE reward (until, for example, running itself becomes a reward for you – then you have a WIN-WIN situation), as well as rewards for completed tasks or goals.

 

What Should a Reward Be?

Of course, it should be simple, clearly defined, without exaggeration, and ideally positive in the context of your transformation with the HMF method. (For example, it can relate to another pillar – did you accomplish something in the health domain? Your reward: a lying-down meditation – relaxation and harmony 😊... How wonderful would it be to combine such rewards? The cycle of good habits would close on its own.)

Example of a Running Reward:

After running, I stretch out on a mat and watch a 10-minute favorite podcast on YouTube. Then I do some additional stretching!

Characteristics of a Positive Reward:

1. Not excessively large
   Example: I don’t eat 10 Nutella sandwiches after running 5 kilometers.
2. Does not sabotage goals and tasks
   (Both those for which it was assigned and other tasks and objectives from the HMF method.)
   Example: The same as above – Nutella sandwiches sabotage the weight loss goal and the 0% sugar task. It won’t work.

There is yet another reward that you can receive without consciously choosing it. I’ve mentioned it before. It also holds the greatest power.

The Reward of Fulfillment!

It appears immediately after completing a task, let alone achieving a goal (whether short-, medium-, or long-term from the HMF method). The reward of improving by 1% and realizing that it is really happening! (This is why the Review Day is so important – to assess and summarize progress.) The reward for better budgeting! And so on. These are rewards that inherently drive the formation of habits and the motivation to achieve goals and complete tasks.

However, remember to be fully aware that this is truly a REWARD – for yourself and your loved ones, because improving yourself also improves your surroundings. Two birds, two rewards, one stone!

What reward will you give yourself today?

I wish you as many rewards and as much fulfillment as possible! Sayonara! 😊

 

Motto:

A reward is not a luxury, but a tool for shaping character.

 

 

Tasks Completed:

 

Today's tasks

Kommentare / Comments