Rewards

[DogwoodTree]

Do you reward yourself when you accomplish a goal?

I've tried that approach many, many times to motivate myself better because it seems to work for so many people. But I usually end up either not giving myself the reward or not feeling satisfied or fulfilled with it when I do get it. Or sometimes the idea of not getting it if I don't accomplish my task is so stressful that I can't do what I'm supposed to be doing.

So I've decided I'm just not extrinsicly motivated at all. Compliments, time off, a special treat...nothing works nearly as well as simply being able to check an item off my to do list and seeing the finished product or results of my work.

 

[Judge]

Not a big concern to me. After all, the payoff is in reaching the goal itself. Not the reward.

 

[AsheSkyler]

It only works with me if I'm really eager for something and I have to first do something I don't want to.

My recent example, oral hygiene. I really need to work in an extra brushing despite how bad fluoride makes me feel, so I decided that while the shower is warming up I am not allowed to take a shower until I have given my chompers a proper once-over. Brushing, flossing, and mouthwash. It's working so far, but, gah, how I hate toothpaste and Listerine.

 

[DogwoodTree]

I really need to work in an extra brushing despite how bad fluoride makes me feel...

Have you tried fluoride-free toothpaste? It's the only kind we use since fluoride is so toxic. The baking soda or whatever else is in it works just as well on teeth if not better (DH and I haven't had a single cavity since we switched years ago).

 

[Ste11aeres]

My mom frequently tells me I should reward myself. Or maybe she says 'treat yourself', or some similar phrase. The problem is, all the things that would feel like rewards are the things I do anyway: take walks, read something good, go outside to look at the moon...

 

[Cali Cat]

I'm not extrinsically motivated either, except on rare occasions when I really, really, really want something. Usually, that "something" is a certain food or a desire to eat out at a particular restaurant. I have some luck with that being a motivator. I can't always depend on having a craving, though, to provide my motivation. Sometimes I don't want anything at all. Then, rewards are pretty much useless. I have to be in a mood to accomplish things, and then the reward is having it done. I just wish I knew how to get to that mood more often.

 

[Kirsty]

It doesn't work with me. I just go out and get my reward. It makes me more productive to achieve my goal.

 

[The Penguin]

It doesn't work with me. I just go out and get my reward. It makes me more productive to achieve my goal.

like she said

 

[AsheSkyler]

Have you tried fluoride-free toothpaste? It's the only kind we use since fluoride is so toxic. The baking soda or whatever else is in it works just as well on teeth if not better (DH and I haven't had a single cavity since we switched years ago).

I'd completely forgotten they make it! I'll do a good search the next time I go shopping. Thankie.
I don't doubt any potential toxicity, elsewise there wouldn't be so many warnings and fluoride-free toothpasts for infants and toddlers.

 

[Kari Suttle]

I'm very much intrinsically motivated myself. I find that rewarding myself never seems to work, and groundings/etc as a kid never did me much good either. Furthermore i've noticed that if someone praises me for something i'm less motivated to continue doing well, the worse if they were detailed and had nothing to critique me on.

 

[May Black]

I don't work for reward, however, I do reward myself for working hard. It can be treating myself to a massage, dinner, buying a piece of clothing I like, booking a trip. I enjoy spoiling myself.

 

[wyverary]

Before this gets derailed into anti-fluoride diatribe (and likely some particularly polarizing conspiracy theories), I thought I should post this and hope the topic is left at that.

Antifluoridation Bad Science « Science-Based Medicine

 

[Kari Suttle]

Wyverary, maybe i'm being too blunt but why are you using moderator voice for something that hasn't derailed into a debate yet? If anything you posting an article for people to read (and then they'll probably comment on) seems to go against what you posted wanting...which was for the topic to stop. It seems counterproductive. I'm confused. And being an idiot and speaking out against it. You'd think i'd have learned my lesson already and not do that. Just don't be mad? >_<

 

[Randomperson]

And give up my stress free life of sloth? I think not, good day.

(mind you, that is all humor there, not spiteful or the like!)

 

[Etzelaire]

My rewards are parts of a tattoo which I get done after huge achievements. For example, when I finished high school and sailed through my first University year I got a war-like tattoo to recall how hard my life's been during that time and how I managed to succeed. Next one I'll get done as soon as I get hired at a company I like, if not, I won't get it done.

 

[IContainMultitudes]

The thing about the fluoride stuff is that we've had people here really go off the rails with weird stuff about how it's a conspiracy by the lizard people to suppress people's psychic ability and things like that and they can get very rude and trollish with people who don't agree with them. In general, conspiracy and pseudoscience posts are frowned on here for multiple reasons, two of the main ones being that they frequently have connections to the anti-vaccine movement (discussions about that aren't allowed here for reasons I discuss in more detail here: Please do not discuss Vaccine-ASD connection controversy on AC | AspiesCentral.com) and they frequently have connections to extremist, generally unpleasant political viewpoints (I've had more than one person here have bizarre anti-Jewish outbursts after I criticized their pseudoscience/conspiracy posts).

 

[AsheSkyler]

Sometimes after a big project I'll go treat myself to binging on one of my favorite games for a while. More of a relaxing thing I guess.

wyverary & IContainMultitudes Interesting... I'm sorry, I honestly had no clue that fluoride was a sensitive topic here, or that there was conspiracy theory dedicated to it. I'd just assumed some others would have over-sensitive stomachs to chemically things and understand my dislike of it.

 

[Juturna]

I don't agree with this concept. At all.

Yes simply because I do x thing I don't want to do does not mean I should not get to do y thing I enjoy. Unless there's a direct correlation between the two, I simply will not do it and find it stupid.

But hey that's just me.

 

[DogwoodTree]

Before this gets derailed into anti-fluoride diatribe (and likely some particularly polarizing conspiracy theories), I thought I should post this and hope the topic is left at that.

Antifluoridation Bad Science « Science-Based Medicine

The question of factual statements vs. conspiracy-fueled debates aside...

...perhaps it would be helpful to have a list of all the topics we're not allowed to touch on whatsoever. I knew about the vaccine-autism debate ban on this site--I don't have a problem at all with leaving that alone. But it doesn't seem reasonable to expect every poster here to know about every conspiracy on the Internet, the pool of which apparently defines the complete distinction between acceptable vs. unacceptable topics.

I want to respect the authority of the mods on this site, and the rules for posting here. But as Kari pointed out, it seems a little under-handed to post--as a mod--a link supporting a specific side of the debate, and then to say, "now no more posting on this topic." Either take a side and leave the conversation open for respectful, rule-abiding discussion, or explain that mentioning anything remotely related to somebody's conspiracy theory is off limits. And let us know what all of those topics are so we don't inadvertently step on toes.