I bribe myself. 😂
Not with chocolate.
Usually with plane tickets or something that comes in a very nice box.
Quite often, I decide on the reward before—or while—I’m working towards a personal goal.
Finish this → get that.
It gives me something extra to look forward to while I’m doing the hard part.
But let’s be truthful.
Sometimes there was absolutely no reward planned.
I finish something, look at the next project waiting for me and think:
I’ve worked hard. I’m about to work hard again. Surely I deserve something first? 🙈
And just like that, I’ve found an excellent reason for a trip or a little luxury purchase.
I can be very persuasive when the person I’m negotiating with is myself. 😂
Most of the time, my reward involves a passport
My ridiculous long-term travel goal?
See the whole world.
Is that realistic?
We’ll find out. 😂
Country 91 is next.
It isn’t really about collecting countries simply to increase the number. The number is fun, obviously, but I genuinely want to see as much of the world as I possibly can.
Different landscapes. Different food. Different cultures. Different ways of living.
And probably a road I wasn’t planning to take until I spotted something interesting and decided to see where it went.
Very Clueless Gene.
There is still so much of the world I haven’t seen. And I want to see it.
So if I’ve reached a goal and I’m looking for a reward, sending myself somewhere I’ve never been seems like a pretty good one.
Sometimes the reward comes in a very nice box
Then there is my other weakness.
Something beautiful.
Usually something luxury.
Sometimes I decide what I want while I’m still working towards the goal. Other times, I finish something and suddenly remember a bag or pair of shoes I’ve been looking at.
Well, I DID just accomplish something… 😂
Convenient.
When I finished renovating my apartment in Spain, I rewarded myself with a matching Christian Louboutin bag and heels.
The flamenco design made them feel especially appropriate. They were not simply beautiful things I wanted; they became a reminder of what I had completed.
But I like attaching those purchases to achievements. Years later, I can look at something and remember exactly what I was celebrating when I bought it.
My first pair of Dior heels became one of those markers. I still own them nearly 18 years later.
I don’t think enjoying luxury and being financially sensible have to contradict each other.
I save.
I invest.
I buy property.
I plan for the future.
And sometimes I buy the bag.
I’m perfectly comfortable with that. 😜
The reward is not really the lesson
Some people celebrate with dinner, flowers or a massage. Apparently, I have a tendency to escalate things to another country or a bag. 🙈😂
That is how I pamper myself. But the useful part is not the price, the destination or what comes inside the box.
It is giving myself a reason to pause and recognise that I did something difficult.
Without that pause, life can become:
Work → achieve → next goal → work → achieve → next goal.
I am very good at moving straight to the next project. The reward makes me stop long enough to enjoy the win.
That does not mean every achievement needs an expensive purchase. It means I want the reward to fit the life I am building—not interfere with it.
Goal reached. Reward time.
One of my recent goals was launching my Spain Property Buyer Toolkit.
I finally did it.
Reward time. 😂
Of course, there is already another big project waiting for me. There usually is.
I work hard.
I believe in working smart. 😜
I save. I invest. I plan for the future.
But I also want to enjoy the life I am working so hard to build.
Love yourself enough to enjoy life.
So I’ll celebrate my wins. Sometimes with a reward I planned months ago. Sometimes with one I conveniently invented five minutes after reaching the goal. 🙈
And sometimes simply because I feel like pampering myself.
And this time?
Country 91. ✈️
There is a whole world out there.
If I can, I want to see all of it.
So yes… apparently reaching my goals is becoming a rather expensive habit. 🙈😂