Part 6/11:
Counterintuitively, rewarding oneself after activities they dislike or find difficult can be counterproductive if done regularly. Andrew suggests that intermittent and random rewards are more effective in creating positive associations with effort.
Practical implementation:
Use a deck of reward cards (e.g., dinner, movie, ice cream).
After completing a task, randomly select a reward card—only one-third contain actual rewards.
This randomness makes the reward unpredictable, which boosts the brain's association of effort with pleasure.
This method transforms effort into a game of chance, encouraging persistence through uncertainty and reducing the aversion to hard work.