Useful articles
FailFee is a deposit-style commitment device: you stake money on a short deadline so missing it costs. These reads explain that idea and the psychology of writing down goals you mean to keep.
Commitment and deposit contracts
- Commitment Devices — Bryan, Karlan & Nelson, 2010
A review of why people lock in their future selves, and when those contracts actually change behavior.
- Financial Incentive–Based Approaches for Weight Loss — Volpp et al., 2008
A randomized trial where putting your own money at risk helped people lose more weight than weigh-ins alone.
- Put Your Money Where Your Butt Is — Giné, Karlan & Zinman, 2010
Smokers who deposited funds they would forfeit if they failed to quit were more likely to stay nicotine-free.
- Investigating Rewards and Deposit Contract Financial Incentives for Physical Activity — de Buisonjé et al., 2022
An app trial comparing deposits you can lose with rewards you can earn for hitting activity goals.
Goal-setting
- Setting, Elaborating, and Reflecting on Personal Goals Improves Academic Performance — Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl & Shore, 2010
Jordan B. Peterson and colleagues found that a written goal-setting program raised grades for struggling students.
- Self Authoring: background on goals and meaning — Peterson et al.
The research background behind Future Authoring: specific goals, coherent plans, and why writing them down helps.