ASU2003

This is the opposite of rewarding yourself for doing a good job or doing something right. I figure if you were successful, you should be happy and don't need to spend any more money. But, if you wanted to do something and weren't able to get it done, well it is time to force yourself to spend the money to fix the issue.

Or maybe I'm just trying to justify spending $700 on a HDTV that I don't really need for my exercise room. But it would be one less excuse to not working out (the old CRT doesn't look good at 1920x1080, and is hard to use). I only worked out once a week and not as much as I should have. (I bike, run, swim, kayak, hike, plenty of other stuff however) In college I was working out three times a week. I want to get up to 6 days a week, 30 minutes each time (in the morning ). It shouldn't be that hard, I don't have too many excuses anymore.

I think my next challenge will be to get more friends in this area by January. If I fail, the fine will be that I have to enroll in a class at the local college. And it won't be a computer class.

I will have to try and come up with a few other things. What things would you want to change, would spending money help fix them?

anti fishstick

i'm not sure if i understand your concept, or at least your exercise example?

i don't like spending money so i think that in itself would be a good fine. I've never tried this, but it is an interesting idea. So, if I fail in a life goal, I would spend on something that I don't want to do? And then, on the upside, it might actually end up being something rewarding. For example, I know taking a class seems like a lot of work and could possibly suck, but it at least gives you some goals and structure. I miss being a student...

What i'm saying is, something that could be a 'bad' thing could actually end up being a 'good' thing. It is all in how you perceive it.

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And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
~Anais Nin

Cynthetiq

negative reinforcement? doesn't seem to work with me... builds more resentment.

negative behavoir force yourself to do something you don't want to do and aren't already interested in doing? WTF?

reward good behavior with good things.

bad behavoir, no reward. simple really.

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ratbastid

Having "one less excuse" won't work on me because I'm downright ingenious when it comes to thinking up excuses.

ASU2003

I want to do these things, but I am either too cheap, too distracted, or too cheap to get it done. I am all about saving money, but I also want to live a good, fun life.

Positive reinforcement doesn't seem to work in this situation. Once I have done something, that is enough reward for me. Doubling up on the reward isn't going to make me more likely to accomplish things. But forcing myself to spend money to make things happen sounds like it might work.

Cynthetiq

then maybe the issue isn't the negativity but the ability to actually reward yourself, getting over the cheap, distraction, or cheap again to get it done. I'm about saving the money and delayed gratification, but to spend money on something you didn't want to "Force" yourself to do something you wanted to do but didn't? that sounds like all kinds of therapy sessions right there.

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.