A Commitment Device is a psychological technique to help us stay committed to our long-term aspirations when faced with short-term distractions or temptations.

When embarking on any new goal or habit, never rely on willpower and good intentions alone to see you through.

To be best friends, you are committed to always be on standby. It's not that hard to be there for someone when you can physically be there, but when you're separated by state or time zone, you have to figure out a new way to be close.

No matter what we tell ourselves, we are not committed fully towards most things. We tend to be different people, committing to change our diet, exercise or start on a certain goal, only to become someone different and get distracted, or simply procrastinate.

We are not fully committed...