Dolls as...Rewards?

Good luck to all!!! I went to the gym 3 times this week. I did 25min of cardio each day. So lets stay motivated!!! My first reward is undetermined. So I look at pictures of dolls and try to decide which one I want first. lol... In reality we are not rich in anyway except love. So I am going to have to stay in the lowest price range. I have 4 children one which has classical autism and is moderate/severe in functioning. BJDs have been a creative outlet for me and an escape of reality which I need every now and then. I just graduated from college with a B.S. Public Service and am looking for a job at the moment. So life is crazy and I think that we can motivate each other to be the best we can be. (((HUGS))) to all.

 

Yeh, my mom says I cant get my first one until I find a job myself to pay for it! I am totally dedicated to this hobby, and have been for almost a year without actually buying one, but lets just say finding a job is harder than it looks!

 

:O Guys this is a great idea! I just started really working last week toward losing the weight I gained over the past year. It goes well for a while but then I get angry when I can't have things I want once in a while like ice cream. >< But! This is an even better incentive than looking good for a cosplay.. Now I think I'll have better motivation.. if I can get back to the weight I was before, maybe I can get one of the fancy dolls I've been wanting!

 

I suppose dolls can be quite motivational but for me it's the other way around... somewhat. Having the dolls be there is what motivates me to work on my goals (which is dieting, like many others here) rather than work on my goals in order to get a doll. I've been trying to lose weight for the longest while until I finally succeeded -and am still working towards that finish line- but without having my dolls there for me when I needed something to turn to or to distract me by doing things for them I don't know how I would have coped through the first 55kg (121lbs or so, I believe) of weight loss. I still have some way to go though, that's another 33lbs... (15kg, I hope I'm doing the conversion correctly). I will admit I was tempted to set a doll goal for when I reach the end but decided that at that point I would much more need an entirely new wardrobe after losing all that weight and I don't think I could afford both at the same time @__@;

 

Just sending out a hug and a boost of confidence and luck to all of us today! We deserve positive things in our lives, and we can make it happen! ^^

 

I think if you have enough money for one, and can afford to buy one without needing to worry about how you're going to pay the rent, or council tax, or bills... or food... It never crossed my mind to get a doll as a reward to myself for graduating university, simply because they're BLOODY expensive. I bought a dress for my graduation, and that was enough. I'm saving to get faceups for my two boys now, and then I'll save again to get them some wigs, and then clothes, but as I just found out how much council tax I'll be paying for the next year I think I'll take it slowly.

 

My first dolls are definitely a reward for myself, and a little bit of retail therapy. I did feel a bit guilty wanting to spend the almost $400 on my two Resinsoul dolls, but then after a few bad days of work and my boyfriend offering to go 50/50 on them with me as a present for our third anniversary, I felt a little better. After a really bad week at work, I finally gave in and placed the order for my dolls - it felt so good!

 

I've decided I'm going to try doing this.

I said I can get myself a new doll after I publish a short story/novella/something. There's an extra little bit of motivation in it in the sense that I told myself I can only buy dolls with the money I get from creative pursuits (such as writing, drawing or making doll stuff), so I really need to get cracking on that publication goal so that I can finally get pair for it, just in case an awesome doll shows up unannounced.

 

Most of my dolls are here for no other reason than sheer WANT . But Julian (AS Jeffrey) and Abigail (AS Cinderella) were my rewards for losing 122 lbs last year. I got Julian for myself and my husband and I paid for Abby together. I was so proud of myself and so was he (btw, I've kept my weight for almost a year now, so when my Feeple60 Miyu arrives I'm considering her my reward for being so good, lol)

 

I think I secretly want to work like this, but ... there comes a time when one element triggers the purchase of a doll... I will have to miss!!
This summer I bought three dolls on the secondary market, I think it's to compensate for not going on vacation this year

 

I think this is a fantastic idea! There's nothing like a good strong motivation to help you meet a goal. When I was little, I would voluntarily do all sorts of extra chores/tasks if it meant earning something I wanted. Why should it be any different now that I'm an adult?

 

This may sound a little silly since I'm a 28 year old woman, but my husband & I have basically set up a chores/allowance type scenario. We sat down a couple of weeks ago & assigned dollar values to the household tasks & whatnot that I absolutely despise doing (& therefore don't do) The plan is that I will only use $ earned from doing these tasks for my doll.

So far it's working out rather well. Things are getting done, I'm getting closer financially to being able to purchase my 1st doll, & I'm getting a feeling of accomplishment (something I desperately need right now). We're even using actual cash to make the progress seem more tangible & to reinforce that sense of accomplishment I'm after. I even went out & bought an adorable little pink tin mini locker to keep my 'stash' in to make the whole process more fun. It even has a little lock (like the ones on little kids diaries).

Now if only I could figure out what my 1st doll is going to be! I'm so indecisive & ther are so many lovely dolls to choose from.

 

That's such a great idea! I love that you're adding your own personal touch to make it all the more fun. :3

I need to get better at saving. So I think I'm going to set myself a goal that every time I buy a doll, I have to make back the total amount spent (including wig, shoes, shipping, etc) via either my job, my side business, or various other projects I do here and there. Only once that full amount is tucked into my savings will I allow myself to purchase or save up for the next (and I'm not allowed to touch what I just saved)!

 

I don't get anything as a reward from anyone, never have (even from myself, since I wasn't rewarded by anyone thus think that I shouldn't reward myself).

It really amazes me that some people get dolls as rewards for getting good grades, honor roll, graduating high school/college, doing things around the house, losing weight, ect
my parents never rewarded me for doing good in school or doing stuff around the house with anything other than the occasional "good job" but I'd be punished/ screamed at for not doing well so I guess the incentive was opposite for me

 

I've kinda done this. Last time I had overtime, I ended up working six days a week for a couple months. I decided that my overtime money would go toward some dolls, since I was working extra hard and all, plus it did make the overtime a little easier to bear.

 

Why yes, my first doll is going to be a gift to myself for getting a new job after transitioning into a new career field. I'm trying to find my shiwoo elf grail, but I may have to pick another as my first if I get tired of waiting.

 

Yep! Most recently was a kind of silly, vanity one: complete DoA Triathlon (with local convention weekend thrown in the middle, we also presented a panel and hosted Tea), and the reward was to order Unoa faceplate in time for my birthday as extra prezzie.

Everything through next year until after Dollism USA is pretty much going to be 'complete a task, buy Unoa FP/parts'. There are so many, it's a very good way to pace myself, expand the emotional range of my current collex, work on my goal to get ALL Unoa option parts and to budget smarter and NOT buy any new full dolls until it's time to take the leap and put a Dollmore Trinity in layaway, hopefully at Holiday 2014.

It's hard to resist because my fiancé likes to buy me dolly things. But I have some other money-sucking hobbies I'm indulging in more lately so I voluntarily rein in my doll spending.

Now I need to read back through this thread and see how well it worked for people and if they met their goals...

 

I gave myself two big gifts for my upcoming 30th birthday as a "reward" for making it this far, as a gesture of kindness to myself, and as recognition of several difficult life decisions that were necessary and hugely beneficial in terms of my personal and emotional growth. When I was growing up, I never really got "rewarded" for my accomplishments and was never really celebrated at all, only chastised and criticized (similar to what Chibi_Rat described above; I had an abusive family of origin). So even flat-out recognizing that I've done good things and made good decisions in my life has been a huge step for me. The first gift I gave myself for my birthday was to get sterilized. The second gift is my first BJD, my Iplehouse Pixxie Blooming, who am in LOVE with! I cannot wait until she gets here -- the timing will be perfect, as she's supposed to arrive within a week of my birthday.

 

I'm planning that for when I go back to university (whenever that may be >.>) Since my parents are so against my doll collection, I've set some pretty high goals in order to get any. The first one'll be fairly simple (in theory), but after that it'll be pure will power and determination. I do plan on getting my dream doll once I'm finished, regardless of how I do. I might get him sooner, though; I've seen Dollzone stopping production of quite a handful of MSDs in the last year. Who knows if they're going to start with their 70cm ones...

 

My very first doll was an incentive doll! Basically my parents rewarded me for good grades freshman year by telling me I could buy (to an extent) whatever I wanted. I jokingly asked if I could have a ridiculously expensive doll as my gift, and they said yes! Never hurts to ask!