How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
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How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
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Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#2Awww, it's the inaugural post on the Beeminder blog! I'd be delighted to answer questions about this.
I think the summary is that hyperbolic discounting is the cause of procrastination (and other forms of akrasia) and the solution is commitment devices. Beeminder takes a quantified-self approach to commitment devices which we think is especially powerful and flexible.
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#3> Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.[1]
One of the projects I've long procrastinated on is building a Benjamin Franklin 13 Virtues trackers, to help log/quantify myself regularly, & hopefully see/spot procrastination/low-points, & apply myself better. The commitment device of having a window in to the past.
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#4[deleted]
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#5"do something against your own interests because you can't be trusted"
I really like the idea behind beeminder, as it focuses on discipline/process more than the outcome, but it looks like I could accomplish this with a spreadsheet, reminders, and a 'swear jar' of cash I actually get to keep.
Might work for some people.
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#6"do something against your own interests because you can't be trusted" I really like the idea behind beeminder, as it focuses on discipline/process more than the outcome, but it looks like I could accomplish this with a spreadsheet, reminders, and a 'swear jar' of cash I actually get to keep. Might work for some people.
I don't think the incentives are quite right that way. What motivates you to keep money out of the swear jar?
(It's possible that the tracking alone will be motivating. Some people, for some goals, find that to be the case.)
I'd love to hear how it goes for anyone who sets up a DIY Beeminder!
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#7> Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.[1] One of the projects I've long procrastinated on is building a Benjamin Franklin 13 Virtues trackers, to help log/quantify myself regularly, & hopefully see/spot procrastination/low-points, & apply myself better. The commitment device of having a window in to the past. [1] http://www.thirteenvirtues.com/
Sounds highly beemindable! Likely relevant: Gitminder, our GitHub integration for committing to pushing more commits or closing more issues. beeminder.com/gitminder
(I'm worried that I'm turning the comments into Beeminder Evangelism Hour here but I can't seem to help myself. I guess Hacker News of all places will be forgiving of that...)
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#8I wrote about this here https://hackinglife.mitpress.mit.edu/pub/94tu3rlx/release/2
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#9How well does this technique work for goals where the path isn't so clearly defined? Say you want to "launch a profitable side business in 2021", how would you fit this into that? You could have a daily goal of "work 1 hour a day on my side business", but that could easily end up with you spending 365 hours reading blogs on starting a side business and not getting anywhere.
Re: How to Do What You Want: Akrasia and Self-Binding (2011)
#10"do something against your own interests because you can't be trusted" I really like the idea behind beeminder, as it focuses on discipline/process more than the outcome, but it looks like I could accomplish this with a spreadsheet, reminders, and a 'swear jar' of cash I actually get to keep. Might work for some people.
I don't think the incentives are quite right that way. What motivates you to keep money out of the swear jar? (It's possible that the tracking alone will be motivating. Some people, for some goals, find that to be the case.) I'd love to hear how it goes for anyone who sets up a DIY Beeminder!
I'd be motivated by the swear jar & reminders since I (would have) put it there intentionally. But I realize not everyone lives this way and busy life can be distracting.
You're very right it would depend much on the person AND the goal.
The main value I personally see here is the setup. I wouldn't have to set up reminders and tracking manually. I may even learn a new goal I hadn't considered if others share their goals. As long as it doesn't devolve into a perfectionism race to the burnout line.
I hope it results into more a tool for self improvement than yet another business preying on human flaws/needs.