Have you ever noticed you seem to have two brains and two voices (at least) in your brain?
Your Boss brain is telling you what to do, sometimes in a loving and encouraging way – and sometimes in a stern or reproachful way. Your baby brain is pitching a fit. No! I don’t want to. Or more often than not, ignoring the boss and doing whatever the baby brain pleases. Ooh… a butterfly.
Q: How do you potty train a toddler?
(Note: The baby doesn’t want to learn. The parent wants it… desperately.)
A: Stickers

Why? Stickers are…

  • A visual stimulus (glossy, colors, image)
  • A tactile reward (sticky, smooth)
  • A physical reward (peeling off the paper, sticking it to something)
  • Sometimes even scratch n sniff (smell reward)
  • Repetitive and reinforcing of desired behavior
Like a toddler, your baby brain responds to rewards. Sensual rewards.  So, why won’t adults allow themselves simple, sensual rewards?

Sensual Rewards

If you skimmed to here, and hoped for something sexy or smutty… read on.
We are going to look at brain-based rewards and how to use them to help you achieve your most desirable goals (and sexual stimulation, can be one of those rewards, if you want. No judgement.)
What is something your rational (boss) brain wants for you? A TEDx, a novel written, short stories submitted?
What bribe might help your baby brain comply? And what can you do for your baby brain when you work toward doing the thing? How can you comfort and cajole that baby brain into participating happily? Let me add that that baby brain – such as I call it – is also your creative self. You need its happy cooperation to do your brilliant work.

Brain-Based Reward!

Hey kids, come on over, I have cookies. Who wants a sticker? Guess what your baby brain is thinking? Cookie? Okay! Yay!!!

But you’re a serious writer… not a good dog or a toddler in potty training… who can have all the cookies you want any day you want. How could that possibly work on you? How could a cookie (or another minor reward) have any motivational impact on you?
And besides, as writers, our brains are… creative, complex, brilliant, imaginative, whirring, fabulous machines – not babies, you may be thinking.
All true. We are the best weirdos. And it’s our brains that make us so.
How do we get our brains in line, and get ourselves doing what we truly want to be doing on a regular basis?
Your brain is a big baby. It needs brain-based rewards.

What are brain based rewards?

“A reward is a natural process during which the brain associates diverse stimuli (substances, situations, events, or activities) with a positive or desirable outcome. This results in adjustments of an individual’s behavior, ultimately leading them to search for that particular positive stimulus.”
~  National Institute of Health

What can you do today? You can list a number of rewards that you would enjoy, that your brain would respond to.

  • Visual – stare into the flame of a candle
  • Audio – play a particular song that you like
  • Touch – [insert smutty suggestion here, as promised] or a stress ball, color for a minute
  • Smell – Sniff a fresh herb, flower, perfume, air freshener
  • Taste – cookie, mint, breath strip, ice

For a Free Infographic about brain-based rewards, go here!