A commitment contract is a binding agreement between your present self and future self1.
The contract should include three parts:
- Your goal — The change you commit to making by when.
- Something at stake — Like your hard-earned money.
- A referee — Someone who will hold you accountable.
You can make a physical contract of your own or use an online service to create a digital one.
Just make sure that your goal is clearly defined, that losing what you put at stake would sting, and that your referee is strict but fair.
The more thoughtful you are with the details, the more likely you’ll be to honor the agreement.