You v. You: Make Personal Changes, Reach Your Goals, and Practice Self Control Using Commitment Devices

Recent discoveries about brain science reveal we're of two minds most of the time. Our brain has a mind of its own. When two parts of us are in conflict we struggle with self control. Part of me wants to lose weight, another part of me wants to eat donuts all day. What to do? Set up commitment devices! These are situations we voluntarily put ourselves into which "force" good decisions. Also known as "intentional necessity," "self limiting decisions," "self restraint," "self binding behaviors," "the carrot and stick method," "the reducing options option," and the exotic sounding "Odysseus Contract." Without technical jargon or ponderous prose marriage and family counselor Erik Johnson lists nearly one hundred examples of ways to set ourselves up for success.