Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits--to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life

by Gretchen Rubin

The third danger posed by rewards? This one took me much longer to recognize: the risk of the “finish line.” Setting a finish line does indeed help people reach a specific, one-time goal, but although it’s widely assumed to help habit formation, the reward of hitting a finish line actually can undermine habits.