My Rewards System Inspired by Atomic Habits Works!

Last December of 2024 I started a system inspired by the book, Atomic Habits, which is to reward myself every time I do an activity that helps me achieve my goals this year.

This year, I have set clear and ambitious goals for myself: to master data science techniques through self-study, webinars, and hackathons; to become fitter and healthier; and to stay updated in geology and renewable energy industries by reading scientific journals and attending conferences. To keep myself motivated and consistent, I’ve introduced a fun rewards system that turns my progress into something tangible.

Here’s how it works: for every productive activity I complete for at least 30 minutes, I reward myself by dropping a 20-peso coin into my rewards jar. Each coin represents a small victory in building better habits. For example, when I exercise for at least 30 minutes, I put a coin in the jar and mark a star in my habit tracker. Similarly, when I spend time coding in Python or analyzing datasets for at least half an hour, I reward myself the same way—20 pesos in the jar and a star in my tracker. I’ve been so driven to practice coding and read through training materials that to date, I have gotten about 7 training certificates from Kaggle. If that isn’t consistency or persistence, then I don’t know what is!

This simple system not only keeps me accountable but also adds an element of excitement to my journey. Over time, I’ll watch the jar fill up as a visual reminder of my dedication and hard work. It’s a small but effective way to celebrate progress, stay disciplined, and move closer to achieving my goals, one 20-peso coin at a time.

To add more excitement to my journey toward a healthier me, I decided to get a sports watch ahead of schedule. After counting the money in my rewards jar, I realized I had saved enough to buy a quality one. After careful research, reading articles, and watching reviews, I decided on the Huawei Band 9. One particular video review convinced me that this model and brand were the right choice (YT video below). Since I only got this watch, I will test it for a few weeks and might write my own review.

Among all the features highlighted in the video, I’m most excited about the ability to track and download data about my sleep patterns, heart rate, and other health metrics. Wouldn’t it be amazing to visualize my health progress at the end of the year with beautiful graphs and charts? I can’t wait to dive into the data analytics and see what insights I uncover! Would I perhaps see patterns that would surprise me? I will definitely find out!

Cheers, everyone! – Grass