So whether you’d like to lose weight, quit smoking or spend more time with your grandkids, stickK is the go-to goal-setting tool for you.
stickK works by helping its users leverage the power of incentives and accountability through the creation of Commitment Contracts. A Commitment Contract is a pre-commitment device that forces users to make decisions upfront (now) about their future behavior. In other words, it’s a contract you sign with yourself to ensure you will do something.
How stickK Works
- Think it. — What’s your goal?
- Define it. — Set a timeline & describe the actions you’re going to take to get there
- Materialize it! — Make it a Commitment Contract.
Commitment Contracts are the magic behind stickK that will help you stick to your word. It’s the remedy for procrastination that is backed by over 20 years of behavioral economic research and over 10 years of experience. Oh, and did we mention they’re completely free to create?
A Commitment Contract is a voluntary, deliberate and binding agreement between present you and future you.
By creating a Commitment Contract, you put your goal in writing, set a deadline, and give yourself additional incentives to achieve it.
Accountability. In all shapes and forms.
Our Commitment Contracts have accountability embedded at the core. We designed stickK's accountability engine in a way that would allow you to be held accountable in several different ways:
Self-accountability: Reports
By asking our users to submit Reports periodically (daily, weekly, or once at the end of their Commitment), we nudge them into submitting updates on their goal. These reports determine whether or not you were successful on your goals for a specific time period.
External accountability: Referee
Self reporting is a good way to start tracking your progress. However, it can be very tempting to report 'success' when only your honor is on the line. stickK allows you to add an additional layer of external accountability to your Commitment Contracts: Referees.
Referees are accountability partners. They are there to verify the authenticity of the Reports you submit. Note: Referees are not there to submit your reports on your behalf! They're simply there to ensure that the rules of the game (set by the person with the Commitment Contract) are actually being followed.
Referees can overturn your 'Successful' Reports into unsuccessful ones, so pick wisely! Referees have the last word on whether or not you were successful on your goal.
Social accountability: Supporters
Add a dimension of social accountability to your Commitment Contract by inviting people to support you on your journey. Keep them updated with your Commitment Journal entries - where they can interact and share some words of encouragement, best practices and even tips & tricks.
You can also invite other users from the stickK Community to join you and come support you on your goals. Simply toggle on the 'Come Support Me!' button located on the right side of your Commitment Contract's Details page.
Financial accountability: Stakes
Stakes are the financial and reputation based incentives that you put on the line during a Commitment Contract. Adding stakes is a great way to better your chances for success, as they hold you more accountable to your Commitment. In other words, adding stakes is simply raising the price of failure.
When creating your Commitment Contract, you can decide how much money (if any) you will put on the line and who will receive the money in case you are unable to keep your Commitment. Here are the four options we offer to be your Recipient of Stakes:
Friend or Foe – a coworker, your mom, that 4th grade bully - choose anyone!
Charity – from a list of 15+ 501(c)(3) organizations
stickK – we'll thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
Anti-Charity – an organization you fervently oppose