Using a Point System to Acheive Your Goal

The past few weeks, I've been trying to work out so I can lose some weight. At first, I just jogged a bit and didn't really accomplish much. But recently, I put myself on a point system, and it has really made a difference.

I have a little journal, and every time I do something good or bad, I add points or deduct points. For example, if I drink a can of soda, I deduct two points, because soda has a lot of sugar and will make it harder to lose weight. I do this not to make me quit drinking soda completely (as if that would ever happen) but to limit how much soda I drink each day. If I do twenty jumping jacks, then I gain one point. I also gain a point for every minute I jog. Every time I masturbate, I lose five points. This is so that I will have a reason to exercise. I love masturbating and always do it at least once a day. So, to keep from having negative points when I go to sleep every night, I have to work out.

Using a point system like this has motivated me quite a bit. I now exercise every day, and I'm watching what I eat and drink. I'm also increasing what I do with every passing day. The first day, I barely got back to zero points before going to sleep, and for the past few days, I've had a positive number of points. After only a week, I need to readjust the point amounts.

Anyone can do this, if they have a goal they want to reach that involves hard work.

Has anyone else tried a point system before?

That's actually a pretty good system, and I commend you for sticking to it. My method of working out involves an angry female friend that comes over and forces me. She's mean, so it works rather well, but maybe I should introduce this point system as well.

Wow, that actually sounds like a pretty awesome system. I'm crappy sticking to things cause around the 1 month period I just throw my hands up and say screw it all (I plateau a lot). It's great you totally have a whole process going, and I love the -5 points for masturbating hehe

nice system you have going on there. keep to it. :wink:
for me, i'm too busy to do anything right now.
i'll just go follow what the day has in store for me. :P

My point system won't be too good for other people, because I have a different lifestyle than most people. Unless you're unemployed, don't go to school, drink a lot of soda, and have never exercised in the past couple of years, my system won't be good for you. Hmm, that may be more common than I think, but still, it's best to come up with things for your own life. But as an example, here's how I did it:

-5 points for masturbation, just so I don't easily get a ton of points

-2 points for a can of soda because they're full of sugar and such

-1 point for glass of soda/Kool-aid, because it's still better to drink water

+1 point for 20 jumping jacks, because 20 jumping jacks wore me out when I started

+1 point for every minute that I ran

That's basically it. I would also assign points for doing any other exercises, as long as I did it enough to make me tired.

The really cool thing with using points is, you can use the system to motivate you by restricting your activities. If you love playing video games, make it where you have to have so many points before you play, or you lose a certain number of points every time you play. That way, you'll work hard so you'll be able to do what you like. But you have to have a lot of willpower. It's very easy to say, "Fuck points, I want to play something!" and nothing will stand in your way (unless you have another person helping you out or something).