Put A Contract Out On Yourself

22 Jan, 2008 Internet

I’m sure many of us have set our New Year’s resolutions and/or blogging goals but have you thought of how to see them through so that those resolutions do not turn into wishful thinking. Don’t set resolutions or goals for the sake of setting them without having a firm commitment to fulfil them, no proper method to track your progress and no planned periodic review of where you stand.

It’s three weeks into the new year—so the question is, how are those resolutions coming along? If you are having a tough time sticking to those resolutions, be it to lose weight, quit smoking, exercise regularly, then help is on hand in the form of a free web-based tool called stickK.

What is stickK?

stickK is a web-based company that helps you achieve your personal goals through “Commitment Contracts.” You create a contract obliging you to achieve a specific goal within a specific time-frame. By doing so, you put your reputation at stake. You may also choose to wager money to give yourself added incentive to succeed. If you do succeed, you get your money back. If you fail, the money is forfeited to charity, or to one of several causes, or to a person of your choosing. stickK’s services are absolutely free.

After creating your “Commitment Contracts”, you can share them with everyone or a select group of friends in order to help yourself stay accountable. In addition, you can also designate a third-party (a close friend or family member) as the Referee to monitor your progress and verify the accuracy of the reports you submitted. If you prefer to work alone, you can opt for the honor system without a Referee. Just remember that having someone to whom you’re accountable increases your chances of success!

Besides putting your reputation on the line, you can increase the stake (optional) by waging money on your contracts. If you accomplish your goals at the end of the contract period, you get your money back. Otherwise, your money goes to charity or someone you have designated in advance. Years of economic and behavioral research show that people who put stakes - either their money or their reputation - on the table are far more likely to actually achieve a goal they set for themselves.

Wouldn’t it just kill you to hand over your hard-earned money to someone you can’t stand or to charities whose causes go against your personal beliefs? That would be some mighty strong incentive to achieve your goals now, ain’t it?

I am sticking my SMART blogging goals with stickK to help me track and be publicly accountable for the goals I’ve set.

This year, stick your neck out and put your reputation on the line in achieving your personal goals. Commit to real change, so that you can say “I did” rather than “I should have” at the end of the year.