So, you want to learn a new language? Start a business? Or maybe get in shape? Then look no further than a Commitment Contract.
Not all things in life are easy to commit to. We all have something that we wish we could change or improve about ourselves. That may be quitting a bad habit, eating healthy, or even making decisions about your career.
Commitment contracts are a way of turning your “I want to do this” into “I am doing this”. They help you stay motivated, on track and moving towards your goals in a simple way.
If you’re looking for a way to improve yourself and incorporate better habits into your life, a commitment contract is an excellent tool. They are easy to set up, and they’ll help you stay consistent with your goals.
So let’s dive in and see what commitment contracts are all about.
What is a commitment contract?
A commitment contract is a way to help you achieve your goals and make the changes you want in life. It’s basically a contract with yourself that says, “I will do this thing, and I will do it by this date, or this will happen.”
They go by many names such as personal contracts, habit contracts, atomic habit contracts, and accountability contracts. These are all slight variations on a commitment contract, but the underlying idea is the same.
The basic idea is that you commit to doing something for a certain period of time (for example, writing for thirty minutes every day for the next six months) or not doing something (like not biting your nails) by signing a contract with yourself.
Although a commitment contract is a contract with yourself, a great way to boost its effectiveness and your ability to stick to one is to make it public or involve other people (not everyone needs someone else involved).
For example, you may tell a friend about the contract so they can hold you accountable. Or you may post your contract online so you have a little more incentive to see it through to the end.
What are the benefits of a commitment contract?
Commitment contracts encourage accountability, motivation, action, and change. If used socially then they can foster healthy competition.
Building habits | Habit contracts and Atomic Habit contracts
Habit contracts, or Atomic Habit contracts, are essentially the same as a commitment contract, but they focus on building habits rather than achieving set goals. Whatever you call it, if you set about performing the same tasks day-in-day-out then you will begin to form habits. The contract will ensure you are forming habits that are aligned with who you want to be.
Overwhelm and decision making
Commitment contracts can help reduce the feelings of overwhelm that you may have about sticking to your goals. If you are someone who often feels overwhelmed by the sheer amount of decisions required in a day, then having a contract in place can help.
For example, should you eat that bag of crisps or not? A decision that can cause you to go back and forth in your mind between wanting the crisps and not wanting to eat unhealthily. If you have a contract in place that states you can only have one snack per day then that takes the decision out of your hands. It frees up your mind.
Defining rules to follow in a contract greatly lowers the number of decisions we are required to make in a day. Notably successful people such as Barrack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg are reported to wear the same clothes every day. They do this because they realise that even the decision of what to wear each day is a waste of energy. They would rather use that brain power on something more important to them.
How to make a commitment contract
Commitment contracts are an awesome way to make yourself do things that you’ve been putting off or lack the motivation to do.
But how do you make one?
First, write down the goal you want to accomplish (i.e I will make it to the gym 4 times a week). Next, pick a date by which you want to achieve this goal. Then, give yourself a consequence that’s going to happen if you don’t meet your goal (i.e If I don’t make it to the gym 4 times a week by June 1st, I’ll donate $100 to friend x).
To really seal the deal and boost its effectiveness, it’s a good idea to sign, date and put the contract somewhere visible.
If you are going to involve someone else to hold you accountable then you could get them to sign the contract too so everyone is fully invested.
In addition to being specific and measurable, the commitments you make in your contract should be realistic. A commitment like “I will never miss a gym day again” is likely to fail because it’s not realistic.
And that’s all there is to it!
Commitment contract examples
Workout commitment contract
I’m signing up here because I want to get healthy and stay reasonably fit because I owe it to myself. This means that I will spend my time exercising rather than sitting at home.
To do this I will go to the gym 4 times per week and run at least 50km before the contract end date: xx/xx/xx.
Should I fail to perform the above then I will wash Steve’s car once a week for the following month.
Habit contract for learning a foreign language
I wish to learn Japanese so that I can fully immerse myself in Japanese culture during the family holiday. I realise that an effective way to learn anything is to form a habit around learning it.
To aid in forming a language learning habit I will commit to turning up at my Japanese Learning Class every week; study my workbooks every day for at least 20 minutes; run through my flashcards every day. I will do all this up until the day we depart for Japan.
Should I fail to perform the above tasks then not only will l struggle to enjoy the holiday to its fullest, but I will also transfer $100 to my least favourite football team.
1 year commitment contract
To turn my life around and start to become the person I really want to be in life, I will follow the below rules for 1 year, until the xx/xx/xx.
I will do the following:
- Wake up at 6 am each work day, no snooze.
- Drink 2 litres of water per day.
- Only have 1 takeaway a month.
- Spend 6 hours a week learning a new skill.
Should I fail to follow the above then I will transfer Gregg, Carol, and George $25 a piece for each week I fail.
Conclusion
A commitment contract is a strategy to help you make changes in your life and get stuff done. If you want to form new habits, create a new business, learn a language, or be more consistent in other areas of your life, then you’ll benefit from having a commitment contract in place. I encourage you to try out this powerful strategy and see the benefits for yourself.
That’s all for the main part of this post but read on below for some FAQs. Thanks for reading
Iain McClafferty – The Five Year Mortgage
FAQs
If you want to give a commitment contract a try, here are some questions you might have:
What if I change my mind about a commitment contract?
A: It’s important to note that changing habits can be hard work, but to make lasting change, it’s best to stay on track as long as you can.
If you are struggling too much and decide to break your contract, then it is extremely important to remain accountable and complete the forfeit.
Should you flake on completing the forfeit, then future contracts will lose their effectiveness.
Can anyone make a commitment contract?
A: Yes! Anyone can make a commitment contract.
However, if you’re worried about whether or not you can keep your promise to yourself, you may want to consider making a commitment contract with someone else. That way, you’ll have someone to help hold you accountable and keep you on track.
How long should I make my habit contract?
A: It’s up to you!
Habit contracts are meant to improve your life, not turn it into a slog. Ideally, you want to create a contract that will last you for at least one month – that way, you can start to see results right away and decide if this particular contract is working for you.
If it isn’t, no problem! You can alter the contract for the next month. If it is, then you could write the next contract for a longer period of time.
