Montblanc

Eighteen years ago I treated myself to something special, a platinum Montblanc Classique ballpoint pen. It was ridiculously expensive but marked a moment in my professional career I'd worked hard to attain. I'd promised myself the pen once I'd reached a set goal and within a year had achieved it. It felt good to buy it, the goal was huge and I'd put a lot into reaching it, the pen was a symbol of that effort.

Pictured is the pen. I've photographed it in black and white for dramatic effect, my first attempt at such photography and I'm not overly happy with the images, but it's about the best my skills and equipment will permit.

It's a beautiful pen, simple and elegant, originally introduced to Montblanc's range in 1924.

All Montblanc products are finely crafted and have a certain touch of class about them, whether a pen, clothing, watch, leather goods, jewellery or other such item and my pen has served me well signing off on many lucrative deals; it means nothing to others, but for me symbolises my journey from first entering that role to becoming incredibly successful at it.

I've always found it important to put rewards in place, something to mark the occasion of having met a goal.

That doesn't mean I don't require a compelling reason to work towards the fulfillment of the goal, the end-reward isn't enough, just that I use the reward to underline that achievement before getting back to work and seeking the next; it's an acknowledgment. This pen was just such a reward and, looking back on that day I bought it all those years ago, I recall how it felt and how it punctuated over a year of extreme focus, discipline and ownership to attain that original goal. From there I put in years of work, tirelessly striving to reach and exceed my goals and this Montblanc pen was with me every step of the way.

Do you set goals with rewards at the end as an acknowledgement of the effort made to attain them? Do you have sentimental items with value that far exceeds the actual cost of the item? If you were to reward yourself today, for efforts made, what would that reward be? Feel free to comment below on these things, or anything you wish, if you would like to.