Self-rewards come in all shapes, sizes and prices; from five-and-dime-store trinkets to ritzy luxuries. Match rewards to accomplishments; giving yourself free or inexpensive presents for small triumphs and more expensive items for major league victories. Equally important, keep the gifts coming to motivate success.

Start by listing 20 rewards – you will be amazed at how quickly the list grows. Or consider the following suggestions:

Small Change Rewards (to celebrate the small accomplishments in your life, such as getting your income taxes done on time or completing a course or having a good first week on your diet):

–          Meet a friend on a Saturday morning for a cappuccino

–          Sit somewhere quiet enough to hear the birds sing

–          Make a list of everything you have to do today and put it all off until tomorrow

–          Buy a plant for your bedside table

–          Wander through a field of wildflowers

–          Browse through a great card shop

–          Take a five minute self-esteem breather: recall a particularly successful occasion and relive the memories

–          Curl up on your bed and call a close friend for a chitchat and giggles

–          Perk up your athletic shoes with outrageous shoelaces

Moderate Rewards (to celebrate important, but not quite major accomplishments, such as getting a raise, publishing your first article, completing a 10-kilometer race or losing 10 lbs. on your diet):

–          Take your car for an inside out cleaning

–          Plant a tree in your backyard

–          Go to a concert

–          Spend a Saturday night at a quaint bed-and-breakfast

–          Get a massage or facial

–          Buy a new  painting for your living room and use it to replace one that’s been hanging around for years

–          Discover a local hot spot or tourist site you’ve never take time to visit

–          Take a weekend walk on the wild side by trying a new out-door activity: white water rafting, backpacking, horseback riding or mountain climbing

Splurges (to celebrate the major coups in your life, such as graduating from college or graduate school, getting engaged or married, winning a prestigious award, or reaching your weight loss goal):

–          Buy that full-length wool coat you’ve been ogling in the department store window

–          Take a cruise to Hawaii and learn to snorkel

–          Pamper yourself with a week at a luxury spa

–          Purchase a big ticket item that will make your life more comfortable: new computer, iPod, new cell phone.

–          Indulge your senses with a season pass to the theatre or the opera

–          Jump in your car and go wherever your imagination leads you, making plans no further than the next meal or antique shop and enjoying the serendipity and spontaneity of the moment

–          Spend a week visiting your favourite national park

–          Buy a car or home stereo, big screen TV

–          Invest in something so beautiful and precious that you’ll feel like a princess/prince wearing it

–          For the best gift of all, throw a big party, invite everyone you love and bask in the glow of those who know a good thing when they see it: YOU!