Use precommitment devices to compensate for low motivation

Lock in behavior in advance so you are not relying on in-the-moment motivation to start.

Why it works

When the procrastination equation predicts low motivation (distant deadline, low task value, high impulsivity), relying on motivational self-talk is fighting the math. Precommitment devices change the payoff structure by attaching a cost to non-action before motivation arrives, making the default action starting rather than deferring. This externalizes the effort that self-regulation would otherwise require.

How to do it

1. Identify the task you are most likely to defer this week.
2. Choose a precommitment: book a session with a coworker, put money on the line via a commitment contract app, or schedule a public commitment.
3. Make the commitment before you are in the low-motivation moment — the point is to decide when rational, to bind the impulsive future self.
4. Keep the cost of breaking the commitment meaningful but not catastrophic.

Evidence

Precommitment devices have solid observational and field-experimental support. Ariely and Wertenbroch’s deadline study and commitment contract research both show that external constraints improve follow-through, particularly for impulsive individuals. (observational)

Effectiveness depends on the cost being genuine; low-stakes commitments are easy to break and can normalize breaking commitments rather than preventing delay.

Sources

• Ariely & Wertenbroch (2002), Psychological Science

Common mistake

Making a precommitment with no real cost — writing "I will do X by Friday" in a private journal imposes no genuine consequence and functions as a to-do item, not a commitment.