As writers, we can go days, weeks or even years before enjoying the tangible benefits of our work. These benefits may come in the form of monetary compensation, positive reviews or simply a nice email from a fan. But what about the little victories that get us through the daily slog, the ones that keep our mesolimbic dopamine pathways zipping along like the Autobahn? If you’re like me, you invent your own custom reward system to be triggered after important milestones, such as finishing a sentence. In case you were wondering (and I’m sure you weren’t), here are mine:
- Coffee
- Breakfast
- Second breakfast
- Snack
- Brunch
- Second snack
- Lunch
- Third snack
- Coffee
- Supper
- Fourth snack
- Dinner
- Dessert
- Bedtime snack
- Midnight snack
- Going to the bathroom (Yes, I use this as a reward. I bet you do, too.)
- Check Facebook
- Tweet
- Check Facebook
- Walk around
- Check Facebook
- Watch TV (but just for a little while)
- Take a nap (but just for a little while)
- Play guitar
- Google myself
- Check email
- Write email
- Call a friend
- Write a blog
That’s it for now. Time to go back to work.