A novel approach to motivation
Comments(4)
I tend to spread myself fairly thin sometimes, juggling multiple hobbies and interests alongside my work and family commitments. This is especially apparent with health and fitness. In the last few months I’ve trained Brazilian jiu jitsu and MMA, taken up ballet, learnt to skydive, lifted weights at the gym, competed in a handful of triathlons, run an unofficial half marathon and ridden the Freeway Bike Hike. Some of these were free, like my midnight run around the river, but for everyone hobby there’s a fee attached.
Unfortunately it’s hard to fit all that I want to do into the time I have available, and that’s meant that my gym membership has been dormant for probably close to a few months. In our household we typically have the family money cover health and exercise related expenses, and whilst my membership is only $25 per fortnight, it’s money that I was wasting. It doesn’t come out of my weekly allowance, which I spend on things like coffee, comics and Lego, so I don’t feel it personally.
Inspired by Nat and Lisa‘s hockey team, I now fine myself $15 every Saturday if I don’t lift during the week. If I want to avoid the fine all I have to do is a few sets in the gym and I not only get the exercise benefit, but I save myself some cash.
Perfect. Your initiative and motivation are acknowledged and respected :)
I read about this startup recently, where you check into the gym but, the catch is, you have to gamble how much you think you’ll go…
ie:
I bet I’ll go to the gym 6 times in a row, and I’m willing to bet $100 on that.
if you go and check in, you get a cash reward (donated from the people that fail)
if you don’t you pay the fine.
it sounds like everyone would cheat the system, but I love the idea.
I love these kind of life hacks. I find Jamis Buck’s bucketwise app to be really good for getting that “personal feel” about spending money. Also makes it easy to pay these sort of fines.
https://github.com/jamis/bucketwise
@brad I think that might be Lose It or Lose It, by Forge38, the guys behind Nerd Merit Badges.
https://loseitorloseit.com/
http://forge38.com/
http://www.nerdmeritbadges.com/