"people who received immediate, frequent rewards for completing small tasks reported more interest and more enjoyment in their work, compared with people who received delayed rewards only given out at the end of a long project."

"As the researchers put it, people who received these frequent rewards immediately upon completion of a task will stay “intrinsically motivated” to perform well...

"for activities like work, where people are already getting paid, immediate rewards can actually increase intrinsic motivation, compared with delayed or no rewards... Frequent rewards as you work make it a more positive experience overall, which naturally motivates one to continue the task and perform well."

"According to the study, though, the most important aspect of the reward is the immediacy – you need to immediately reward yourself when the task is completed, rather than delay it to the end of the week or month, for example."