I turned the thing I hate the most about myself into a superpower

Using external accountability to tap an endless source of energy

For years I’d been complaining to my girlfriend about how unmotivated I am to strength train. For months I had been talking to my boyfriend about how I had to clean out my closet.

I had heard the advice to pay people for the things you don’t want to do. I just have such a strong distaste for making other people do my dirty work. Plus, why in the world would I pay for someone to do something I can do myself?

Then it hit me. Just because it’s technically possible that I, as a human, am capable of cleaning out my closet doesn’t mean I will ever, ever do it. In fact, if previous experience counts as data, it just isn’t going to happen. I finally gave in.

Experiment 1: Pay a friend to take me to the gym

I didn’t want to pay the high price of a personal trainer because I didn’t need personal training. I needed someone to get me started. To make sure I showed up. That’s it.

I had a teacher friend who was looking to make some extra cash in the summer for a trip to Europe. I pounced. We agreed that I would pay her $20/hour to:

1. Pick me up on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 pm(when my willpower is rock bottom and my craving for happy hour is through the roof). She would take me to the bark trail for a 20-minute interval run and then drop me off at the YMCA for a 20-minute weight workout.
2. Meet with me for an hour at the coffee shop next to the YMCA on Fridays after work (again, when I am maxed in the stress category) and debrief the week with me. I had to be in my workout clothes for the meeting and I had to go to the YMCA after and text her when I was done.

Outcome: 100%. This was 100% effective. THIS WAS 100% EFFECTIVE!

For a month I lifted weights twice a week and did an interval run. I did not start drinking at 5:01 pm and make a series of stress-fueled bad decisions to start the weekend.