New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come true

[Czechs Mex]

For me, this website is the greatest find of the year:
http://www.stickk.com

Everyone's got those things that they'd like to do in theory, but never do in practice. Losing weight, giving up smoking, reading more often, learning a new skill, etc.

With this website, you give yourself an artificial incentive to actually get these things done. You setup a goal and choose a deadline. If you do not make adequate weekly progress towards this goal, your credit card is automatically billed, in the amount that you want, and the money goes to the person or charity of your choosing.

I made a bet with my friend that I'd exercise 5 times a week, for the next 12 weeks. If in any week I don't meet that goal, he gets $100 from me.

To be clear, you don't win any money if you accomplish your goal. But what you do win is the fact that you actually did the thing you've always been meaning to do.

So... anyone interested in this?

[Hrafn]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

Hmmm...it bears pondering. Something to combat my procrastinating might be desirable.

[Gustaff 13]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

This reminds me of an alarm clock a coworker was telling me about. (Think Geek, maybe?)

The clock is connected to your PC or home network, and if you hit the snooze button while the alarm is active, a pre-authorized donation is made to a charity of your choice in exchange for the extra 5 minutes.

[John Mora]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

Depending on what you're doing, working out five times a week can potentially be harmful.

[Hrafn]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

It does occur to me, however, that this is largely unnecessary for bets unless either you or the person you are betting with tends to try and welch.

[Alzar]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

interesting idea. i am somehow okay with rarely setting goals and never really attaining them, though.

the last time i had a really strong goal was when i made my rpg maker game. AND TO GET TO LVL 80 IN WORLD OF WARCRAFT

[Czechs Mex]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

Depending on what you're doing, working out five times a week can potentially be harmful.

I'm not doing anything harmful. The minimum requirement is 15 minutes of running, or 50 pushups and 100 crunches, or something along those lines. I am subject to heckling if I do that every day, though, which I guess could hurt my feelings.

This reminds me of an alarm clock a coworker was telling me about. (Think Geek, maybe?)

The clock is connected to your PC or home network, and if you hit the snooze button while the alarm is active, a pre-authorized donation is made to a charity of your choice in exchange for the extra 5 minutes.

Oh man, that's fantastic, I'll have to look into that. Of course, it could just have the unintended consequence of you sleeping in more, since you now have an incentive to shut your alarm off instead of hitting snooze.

[Ryner]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

If you really want to be sure you complete your challenge, set the recipient to be someone/something you hate. I did something like this a few years back where I pledged money to one of those 9/11 truth web sites if I didn't meet a few goals.

Though when I did it I didn't know about this website or it didn't exist at the time, so it was just a matter of me being honest with myself. I did complete my challenge though.

[Hrafn]

Re: New website allows you to either go bankrupt or make your wildest dreams come tru

What, was there not an option to just set your money on fire? Seems like it would have been more worthwhile.