Reward charts - chasing the carrot works?

This is quite an unusual post for me, but I am feeling more and more the need to share more than just my crafting. Hope you like that and choose to stick with me on this one too.

Our son has been potty training during the last month and there has been a lot of praise and gifts to encourage the toilet action. But it got to a point were going to the toilet was no longer an issue and he was asking (more like demanding with a nice pleaseeeeee at the end) for gifts at all times. 

So we decided to introduce a rewards chart. It was a spur of the moment thing that I just drew on a paper, with spaces to add stamps when he does something really well or that's helpful, some smiley faces for some "fun activities" along the way and a present at the end of the chart.

It has worked a treat. He understands the concept of the rewards for things well done and is really looking forward to his present. He also gets to choose his fun activity, which mostly consists of us singing and dancing crazy in the kitchen to a couple of Katie Perry's songs. I am happy to oblige!

And as I was sharing the news of how well the chart is going in my family WhatsApp group, a certain brother in law said that his wife should have one too! So jokingly I made one for her, but instead of empty circles I wrote activities that I knew my sister would need to get done. And then I made one for myself.. and I was honest, like I haven't been in years, about all of those tasks that really needed doing...

… the box of handbags that still sits in the loft from two moves ago...

… the dreaded spare bedroom closet...

… the little one's clothes that need sorting and taking to the charity shop...

… and so on.

 And I displayed it proudly next to my son's. So I get questioned daily by him how many stamps I got each day.

Well let me tell you it is actually working. Not sure if it is the fact that it is very predominantly displayed in the kitchen, or the fact that my son is constantly reminding me that I need to get more stamps. But it is working and I am getting things done. The not so happy part is that I am starting a new list already for the next chart... buy hey, I have stopped procrastinating over those tasks, that were hanging over my shoulders...

Do you think that's something you could give a go? Are there a few things that you have been procrastinating for weeks, months or even years? or any tasks you want to achieve in the next few weeks that a chart with a promise of a nice reward can help you with?

I would love to hear.