Clever commitment contracts for personal life
October 30, 2017 11:08 AM
Sometimes I need a little shove to do things, especially things that require awkward conversations. For example, if I haven't had Important Feelings Conversation with Boyfriend by 11:59pm tomorrow, I've promised my best friend that I'll make a $100 donation to a reprehensible charity. What other commitment devices can I use to kick my own ass into gear?
Remove distractions and don't do _other_ things until you do the _important_ thing.
posted by amtho at 11:38 AM on October 30, 2017
posted by amtho at 11:38 AM on October 30, 2017
Remove distractions and don't do _other_ things until you do the _important_ thing.
Not going to threadsit, but it was this simple for me, I wouldn't be asking this question.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:39 AM on October 30, 2017
Not going to threadsit, but it was this simple for me, I wouldn't be asking this question.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:39 AM on October 30, 2017
I’ve had success with stickk.com
You set up a binding agreement with yourself and you can choose to put money on it, that can go to either a charity you support or one you loathe (my choice- very effective for me!)
You can also choose to have a friend be a referee if you like being accountable to someone.
I set up a contract for 8 weeks to change a bad habit and it was the push I needed to make a longer-term change.
posted by bighappyhairydog at 11:44 AM on October 30, 2017
You set up a binding agreement with yourself and you can choose to put money on it, that can go to either a charity you support or one you loathe (my choice- very effective for me!)
You can also choose to have a friend be a referee if you like being accountable to someone.
I set up a contract for 8 weeks to change a bad habit and it was the push I needed to make a longer-term change.
posted by bighappyhairydog at 11:44 AM on October 30, 2017
Are you looking for a shove for one-time items, or building ongoing habits? If ongoing habits then Beeminder might be useful to you.
posted by dttocs at 11:56 AM on October 30, 2017
posted by dttocs at 11:56 AM on October 30, 2017
Are you looking for a shove for one-time items, or building ongoing habits?
Both are welcome, thanks!
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:58 AM on October 30, 2017
Both are welcome, thanks!
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:58 AM on October 30, 2017
Looks like some people are discussing accountability partnerships in this MetaTalk thread.
posted by delight at 5:44 PM on October 30, 2017
posted by delight at 5:44 PM on October 30, 2017
If you're open to reward rather than punishment, as SaltySalticid suggests, I recommend the basic mechanism described in The Power of Habit (flowchart), which is basically:
* cue
* routine
* reward
I've recently experimented with using this method to cut down on wasting time reading stuff on the internet, and it was surprisingly effective - after the first two weeks, I really didn't even feel the craving anymore.
posted by kristi at 10:25 AM on November 2, 2017
* cue
* routine
* reward
I've recently experimented with using this method to cut down on wasting time reading stuff on the internet, and it was surprisingly effective - after the first two weeks, I really didn't even feel the craving anymore.
posted by kristi at 10:25 AM on November 2, 2017
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You might also consider rewarding yourself for doing the action, either via positive reinforcement (you get a cupcake) or negative reinforcement (you don’t have to do some other chore that day).
YMMV, generally positive and negative reinforcement work better at generating a desired behavior than punishment. Or at least so my college psych teachers said.
posted by SaltySalticid at 11:33 AM on October 30, 2017