getting paid to do it. It is an interesting proposition.
I never really entertained being part of a weight loss contest with a cash reward at the end of the “game.” But with the advent of television shows like the Biggest Loser where contestants who failed in the past to lose weight join other folks like themselves, paying to lose might not be a bad idea. Dangling a prize to “win to lose” seems like fun idea; although on this TV show, watching contestants’ pained expressions, cries of agony, and physical abuse from their trainers makes me wonder if it is worth losing weight--even if there is a prize at the end of their misery.
I used a weight loss game with clients who wanted to lose weight; I paired people into small groups. These buddies chose their team name, they
cheered each other on, they weighed in together, and gave each other tips for meal planning and exercising. Eventually, a team won! It was exciting. Rewards were handled out. It felt like Oscar night.
However, shortly after the prize was accepted, these same contestants went back to their old habits. Their reward was a tool; it got them their result or what they wished for; but it did not change behaviors. It did not replace the driver.
You see, you are the driver. You sit behind the steering wheel of
your own life. You can decide which way to turn. You can choose to go forward or put your life in reverse. You can drive to your goal, especially if you are offered a very tempting prize. But, once you get it ~ your destination~ your goal – if you haven’t replaced what’s driving you—if you haven’t changed the internal mechanism that pushes you, then the money or prize hasn’t taught you anything.
You are still the same driver; money is only a tool.
If you want to change the way you drive, then call me. I have other tools besides money that produce long-lasting results.