19th September 2025
How many times have you decided to do a task but keep procrastinating till the deadline approaches, stress builds up & only then you start acting.
There are many ways to commit yourself to a task or a goal.
In the summer of 1830, Victor Hugo was facing an impossible deadline. Twelve months earlier, the French author had promised his publisher a new book. But instead of writing, he spent that year pursuing other projects, entertaining guests, and delaying his work. Frustrated, Hugo’s publisher responded by setting a deadline less than six months away. The book had to be finished by February 1831.
Hugo concocted a strange plan to beat his procrastination. He collected all of his clothes and asked an assistant to lock them away in a large chest. He was left with nothing to wear except a large shawl. Lacking any suitable clothing to go outdoors, he remained in his study and wrote furiously during the fall and winter of 1830. ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ was published two weeks early on January 14, 1831.
Sometimes success is less about making good habits easy and more about making bad habits hard.
If you find yourself continually struggling to follow through on your plans, then you can take a page from Victor Hugo and make your bad habits more difficult by creating what psychologists call a ‘Commitment device.’
A commitment device is a choice you make in the present that controls your actions in the future. It is a way to lock in future behaviour, bind you to good habits, and restrict you from bad ones.
When Victor Hugo shut his clothes away so he could focus on writing, he was creating a commitment device.
There are many ways to create a commitment device. You can reduce overeating by purchasing food in individual packages rather than in bulk size.
You can voluntarily ask to be added to the banned list at casinos and online poker sites to prevent future gambling sprees.
Athletes who have to “make weight” for a competition choose to leave their wallets at home during the week before weigh-in so they won’t be tempted to buy fast food.
As another friend purchased an outlet timer, which is an adapter that he plugged in between his internet router and the power outlet. At 10 p.m. each night, the outlet timer cuts off the power to the router. When the internet goes off, everyone knows it is time to go to bed.
Setting up an automatic transfer of funds to a investment account each month on Salary day, making it harder to spend the money impulsively.
The Greek hero Ulysses famously had his crew tie him to the mast of his ship so he could hear the Sirens’ tempting song without steering the ship into danger.
Other examples involve public pledges, using smaller portions when serving food, or even setting alarms to ensure you wake up on time.
The circumstances differ, but the message is the same: commitment devices can help you design your future actions.
Find ways to automate your behavior beforehand rather than relying on willpower in the moment.
Be the architect of your future actions, not the victim of them.
Adopt a ‘Commitment Device’ today for better habit and stay blessed forever.