I've tried beeminder and other self-binding contracts, but after some time something in my life (moving, breakup, etc) pops up and I just can't fulfill the goal for 1-2 weeks. After I let it slip for a bit, I find it harder to come back and it feels that the contract loses some meaning.<p>For any system I've tried, it consistently falls after 3-4 months of use (this is beeminder, spreadsheets, text files, among others).<p>Does anyone have suggestions for how to keep going after a setback?
I've been using Beeminder for 8 years[1], and it is no exaggeration to say it has massively changed my life. It helped me run a marathon, procrastinate less, write more words, workout regularly, and a bunch of other stuff.<p>It's weird and it's not for everyone, but if it works for you then go for it. I'm not ashamed that I need to wear corrective lenses, and I'm not ashamed that I needed help to get my shit together.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.philnewton.net/blog/beeminding-8-years/" rel="nofollow">https://www.philnewton.net/blog/beeminding-8-years/</a>
> Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.[1]<p>One of the projects I've long procrastinated on is building a Benjamin Franklin 13 Virtues trackers, to help log/quantify myself regularly, & hopefully see/spot procrastination/low-points, & apply myself better. The commitment device of having a window in to the past.<p>[1] <a href="http://www.thirteenvirtues.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thirteenvirtues.com/</a>
I wrote about this here <a href="https://hackinglife.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/94tu3rlx/release/2" rel="nofollow">https://hackinglife.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/94tu3rlx/release/2</a>
Awww, it's the inaugural post on the Beeminder blog! I'd be delighted to answer questions about this.<p>I think the summary is that hyperbolic discounting is the cause of procrastination (and other forms of akrasia) and the solution is commitment devices. Beeminder takes a quantified-self approach to commitment devices which we think is especially powerful and flexible.
"do something against your own interests because you can't be trusted"<p>I really like the idea behind beeminder, as it focuses on discipline/process more than the outcome, but it looks like I could accomplish this with a spreadsheet, reminders, and a 'swear jar' of cash I actually get to keep.<p>Might work for some people.
How well does this technique work for goals where the path isn't so clearly defined? Say you want to "launch a profitable side business in 2021", how would you fit this into that? You could have a daily goal of "work 1 hour a day on my side business", but that could easily end up with you spending 365 hours reading blogs on starting a side business and not getting anywhere.