I just turned 40 the other day and realized I might not live forever. So, I’ve decided to try to do something about that – the usual: eat better, exercise more, go to bed earlier. These are all things I’ve worked on at various other times in my life that somehow didn’t quite stick. The irony is that what I do for a living is figuring out how to motivate other people to adopt healthy behaviors. Why is it so hard to apply social marketing concepts to myself?
I thought about the benefits that I would get from becoming healthier, the barriers that I would need to overcome, how to remind myself to do these things in the places where I will see them and motivate myself to keep going once the novelty wears off…
And I realized that the answer is something that has been so much a part of my life as a mommy that I didn’t even see it right in front of me. What have I done to motivate my kids, when they were younger, to do something they didn’t want to do, whether it was getting through swim lessons, being polite or going to the potty themselves? Sticker charts! They got a sticker for each time they did what I wanted them to do, and after a certain number of stickers they would get a prize of their choosing — a My Little Pony, a pack of Yu-Gi-Oh cards, whatever worked. And they did work!
So I sat down and created myself a grown-up version of a sticker chart, with columns for each behavior I want to try to do each day and a row for each day of the month. Since I’m 40, I guess I don’t need actual stickers; checkmarks will do. I have five sets of behaviors I want to try to do each day, and I decided that once I accumulate 100 checkmarks I will treat myself to a reward just for me. I’m not sure yet what it will be, since there’s not really a THING that I’m lusting after. Maybe it will be something like a guilt-free morning spent lying on the beach, a visit to the museum alone without complaining kids tugging at me, a massage, or something else that feels special.
Sustaining motivation, setting goals, finding the right rewards — these are all things we have to take into consideration when we create social marketing programs aimed at other people. It’s when you have to apply it to yourself that the concepts really come to life. What have you done in the past to motivate yourself to reach your own goals?
Photo Credit: Breeezy
Nedra helps nonprofits and public agencies create positive change on health and social issues through social marketing and transmedia storytelling strategies at Weinreich Communications since founding the company in 1995. She helps organizations make a difference for the populations they serve by strategically designing programs that draw on state-of-the-art behavior change techniques, digital media approaches and the power of stories. 
Coming from a public health background, I understand your struggle Nedra! The whole practice what you preach concept rings true for both of us. In the past several weeks, I’ve just been going off of the strong sense of accomplishment every morning that I work out, gives me. I might have to think about what you are creating…
Did you ever collect Wacky Packs? Maybe sardonic public health cards about the “beauty” of smokers wrinkles, or the “healthy Pre-cancerous glow” of tanning beds…
Great post.
JPA
In my business, gaining and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, motivation is a popular topic. The reward system definately works, as long as the reward isn’t food oriented…………:)
With a 5 and 2-year-old in our house, I started laughing as soon as I saw the post title — but you are so right! I turned 39 on the birthday we share and went through pretty much the same experience, but hadn’t figured out yet how to really motivate myself (other than buying some 10 min workout videos thinking I’d have NO excuse then — scary). I’m making my sticker chart equivalent tonight!
Dude you need real stickers! we are all visual even 40 year olds.