Back in the 70s I read a book of study tips for college students.  “If you’re having troubled staying on task with an assignment, promise yourself a reward — like going out for a hamburger — as soon as you get your work done.”

How does this technique sound for a modern executive with attention deficit disorder?  On the one hand, if the promise of a little treat helps us get the job done, great!  We get the job done!  On the other hand, if we make a habit of using extrinsic and unrelated rewards (like hamburgers, or a half-hour of television, or a trip to the beach) to get ourselves to complete a task, will we gradually erode our internal ability to stick with tasks for the simple reason that they’re important?

I suspect that the “hamburger” technique (like hamburgers themselves) are fine if used sparingly, but not as a habit.  In any case, if you use this technique, what’s your “hamburger”?

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