A friend of mine took me to lunch in his new car.

It was a brand new Cadillac.

I complimented it and wished him the best but I got more than a pleasant lunch that day.  I learned an important lesson.

He was a business owner/salesman who relied on his own work ethic and ability to sell himself to make a living.  And here is what he told me:

“I bought this car because I exceeded the sales goal I set for myself in the beginning of the year.  I knew if I could hit that goal, I would make enough to reward myself with a new car.”

But I asked him was there ever a time when he set a goal and fell short.

His response:

“Last year – which is why had I picked you up for lunch then, we would have been driving there in my old car.”

His advice:

1. Even if you get close to your goal, do not give yourself the reward anyway.  Getting close is such a strong motivator, you will actually more than exceed your original goal once you’ve fallen short.
    
2. Choose a reward that can be well defined – like a car, a vacation, a full day at the spa, etc.  The more tangible, the better.
    
3. Once you earn your reward, be mindful every time you think of it or use it (as driving in his car) that the material reward represents something more important – your commitment to work toward your goals.

Or as Confucius said:

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps”.

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