Show HN: Discipline.io – Make binding commitments to your better self
discipline.io
It's super hard to quit addicting apps. Existing solutions are non-binding, and therefore, require constant self-discipline and vigilance to be effective. Which is ironic, considering the problem we are trying to solve, is a lack of self-discipline.
There exists a physical solution to this problem, in the form of a time-locked safe[1]. It’s effective for reducing app usage, but it's cumbersome and inconvenient.
Fundamentally, what these lock-boxes do is impose a real-world cost on breaking your commitment. It’s not impossible to break your commitment, but it would require destroying the lock-box, and that incurs a cost.
I created a digital version of this, as an app (Android-only). Commitment’s are backed with cash deposits, and the phone API’s are used to detect violations and enforce compliance. No self-reporting required. And it even works if the monitoring app is uninstalled, or its background service disabled.
An example commitment: Stop using Tinder, for the next week, or forfeit $20 to the Red Cross charity.
The solution also generalizes to other types of commitments:
- Commit to using an app more (e.g. meditation)
- Commit to visiting a location (e.g. gym)
- Commit to making a phone call (e.g. mom)