Do you ever say to yourself ... "I've been good all week, so I deserve this dessert" - or - "I just had a great workout, so I've earned this [fill-in-the-blank-with-your-favorite-naughty-temptation]" Contrary to what you may have heard all your life, rewards don't work. At least not in the long term. Here's why ... They teach you that you wouldn't do the activity (say, eat in a way that supports your goals) for its own sake. So you end up associating a healthy habit with suffering or deprivation. That new healthy habit is never going to stick that way. They require a decision -- "Have I earned this reward, or not?" But habits, by definition, don't require decisions. A true habit is automatic. They promote the Finish Line mentality. (This is why we don't do "6-Week Challenges," for example.) You suffer and sacrifice until you get to the Finish Line ... But once you hit that magical finish line, you stop a...