The other day I read an article in the New York Times with the fascinating title: “Dieting? Put Your Money Where Your Fat Is.” It’s about “diet bets.” A diet bet is an arrangement “in which those seeking to lose pounds give themselves a new incentive: money. If they don’t lose more weight than the competition, they lose cash.”

I have coaching clients all the time who tell me they’re “committed” to something. It might be losing weight, or getting their MBA, or having family night once a week, or a whole variety of things. I know they’re committed, but what I worry about is their commitment to their commitment.

I don’t mean that to be funny. When the pressures of day-to-day life take their toll, one of the first things to go is commitment to that behavior or goal that seemed so important just a little while ago.

One client decided she wanted to attend seminary and become an Episcopal priest. Her husband was supportive, even though the program was demanding and would take several years. Their kids said they were supportive, too, even though they would have to start getting up earlier so mom could get to class on time.

That lasted until the second day of the new regime. That morning when my client went to wake the girls, the younger one said, “Oh, mommy, I don’t want to get up now. I didn’t know it would take this long!”

That’s how most of us feel when the excitement of a new commitment is driven out by the reality that it won’t be easy. That’s when seeking outside help can keep you committed to your commitment.

Diet bets are a form of competition. Competition is one way to work with others to stay committed. It works if you’ve got similar goals. It works even better if you’ve got a neutral scorekeeper.

Another way to have others help you reinforce your commitment is to do things together. Many people use a “workout buddy” to help them stay with a new exercise program. It works because of the accountability to another person.

A workout buddy is a form of “accountability partner.” That’s someone you report to about your efforts and how they’re going. Some of my clients use me as their accountability partner. Others use their spouse or a business friend.

Whether it’s competition, like a diet bet, or an accountability partner of some kind, getting outside help can help you stay committed to your commitment and moving forward.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 at 9:40 am and is filed under Tools and Strategies for Success. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.