Ever wish you had a personal coach or even a personal nag who would stand behind you and make you write when you don’t want to?
Maybe I do, too. I’m sometimes good at self-motivating … and sometimes terrible.
That’s why I’m glad I came upon the idea of a “commitment device.” A commitment device is different than a motivation device, such as coffee or a deadline.
According to David B. Clear, a commitment device is “a choice you make in the present that ensures that you’ll follow through with your intentions in the future. It achieves this magic by one of two ways:
- by restricting your future choices or
- by punishing you if you don’t follow through.
Clear gives this example: Han Xin, a legendary general in ancient China, defeated his enemies during the Battle of Jingxing … by positioning his soldiers with their backs to a river. That way, they were trapped, and had no other option than to fight like hell.
A good example of a commitment device I use is the little app and browser extension called “Forest.” If what’s keeping you from writing is social media or your smartphone, this app keeps you off the internet or your phone for a given time span you set. While you focus on your writing, Forest grows a tree for you!