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Why it works

Motivation isn’t easy, but it’s simple: we act when it's pleasurable, or when not doing it causes enough discomfort.

Combined, using our tools increase your chance of success by over 500%! 🚀

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Increase your chance of success by over 500%! 🚀

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ReportBelow is the revised research summary with all references to specific providers removed and all links replaced with numbered citations. The numbered references are listed in full at the bottom for verification.---# The Power of Financial Stakes and Accountability in Achieving GoalsAchieving personal goals or building new habits is challenging—but research shows that putting money on the line and having an accountability partner or referee can dramatically boost your chances of success. Below we explore academic findings, real-world case studies, and psychological insights on how financial stakes and accountability drive higher success rates. Throughout, we highlight compelling data and percentages that support these strategies.## Research Evidence: Financial Stakes and Goal SuccessMultiple academic studies have quantified how financial incentives (or disincentives) improve goal achievement:- Weight Loss: In a randomized trial, participants who stood to gain or lose money for meeting weight loss targets lost far more weight than those with no incentives. Over 16 weeks, the no-incentive control group lost only about 3.9 lbs, while incentive groups lost over 13 lbs on average [1]. (Notably, the difference narrowed after the incentives stopped, suggesting some weight regain [2].)- Smoking Cessation: Financial stakes have also helped smokers quit. In one trial, smokers offered up to $750 in rewards for quitting achieved significantly higher quit rates than those with no reward. After about 3 months, approximately 16.3% of the incentive group remained smoke-free compared to just 4.6% of the control group—a nearly threefold increase in success [3]. In another study, a “deposit contract” (where smokers risked their own money to get it back only if they quit) showed that although only 11% of smokers opted in, those participants were 30% more likely to quit than those without such a contract [4].- Exercise Habits: Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that commitment contracts—financial pledges to exercise—increased gym attendance and overall exercise frequency compared to no contract [5]. In general, larger incentives produce better performance, although with diminishing returns beyond a certain point [6].- General Goal Attainment: In a broad goal-setting study, participants who made a public commitment and maintained regular accountability achieved their goals at much higher rates. Those who merely contemplated their goals had a success rate around 43%, whereas those who both wrote down their goals and sent weekly progress updates to a friend achieved a 76% success rate [7]. Another study from the American Society of Training and Development found that simply committing your goal to someone else gives you a 65% chance of success, and scheduling regular check-ins can boost your success rate to 95% [8].Takeaway: Whether it’s adhering to a diet, quitting smoking, or completing a project, putting skin in the game (money) and establishing accountability significantly improve success rates. Financial stakes create urgency and consequence, while accountability leverages social pressure and support. Controlled studies have shown improvements ranging from 30% boosts to three- or fourfold increases in achievement.## Real-World Case Studies and Success StoriesReal-world examples further illustrate the power of financial stakes and accountability:- Corporate Wellness Incentives: Many companies have implemented financial incentives for employee wellness. For example, one program found that employees who were offered cash bonuses for quitting smoking experienced double to triple the quit rates compared to those who received only informational support [3]. Similar workplace challenges that include monetary rewards have led to higher participation and more significant improvements in weight loss.- Community-Based Accountability: In various settings—from workplace weight-loss pools to informal groups that agree to impose small financial penalties for missed commitments—real people have demonstrated improved outcomes. In one case, an entrepreneur publicly declared his goal and promised a financial penalty if he failed; this public wager was credited as a key factor in his successful product launch.These examples underscore that creating real consequences for failure—whether through monetary loss or social accountability—drives people to follow through on their commitments.## Does More Money = More Motivation? (Stakes Size and Success)A natural question is: how big should the financial stake be? Research and experience suggest several key points regarding the size of financial commitments:- Meaningful Stakes Matter: The amount must be large enough to hurt (or help) so that you truly care about the outcome. A trivial stake (e.g., $1) might not trigger sufficient loss aversion, whereas a more substantial amount (e.g., $20 or $100) can be more motivating.- Diminishing Returns: Although increasing the incentive does boost performance, studies indicate diminishing marginal returns beyond a certain threshold [6]. For example, going from $0 to $100 may have a large impact, but increasing the stake further (e.g., from $100 to $200) may not double the motivational effect.- Risk of Overcommitment: If the financial commitment is too large relative to one’s means, it could introduce excessive anxiety or even lead to unethical behavior (such as cheating to avoid losing a significant sum). The stake should be significant yet manageable.- Personalization: Individual sensitivity to financial stakes varies. Some people may only need a modest wager to boost their resolve, while others might require a larger commitment to feel adequately accountable.In summary, while putting some money on the line is clearly better than none, there is a “sweet spot” where the commitment is enough to motivate consistent action without being overwhelming.## Why Do Stakes and Accountability Work? (Psychological Insights)Several psychological principles explain why financial stakes and accountability devices are so effective:- Loss Aversion: People tend to prefer avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains. In fact, the pain of losing money is often about twice as powerful as the pleasure of an equivalent gain [9]. This asymmetry makes a financial penalty a potent motivator to avoid failure.- Immediate Consequences vs. Delayed Rewards: Many goals (like exercising or dieting) have benefits that materialize in the long term, while the effort required is immediate. Financial stakes introduce an immediate consequence for failing, thereby making the abstract future benefits more tangible.- Public Commitment and Social Pressure: Announcing your goal to someone you respect increases accountability. The desire not to disappoint others or suffer public embarrassment motivates you to stay committed [7, 8].- Support and Feedback: Having an accountability partner not only enforces commitment but also provides ongoing encouragement and troubleshooting, further bolstering the likelihood of success.- Commitment Device Effect: By pre-committing (through a financial stake or public promise), you effectively bind your future self to a course of action, thereby reducing the chance of procrastination or wavering.- Reward Substitution and Gamification: The structure of a bet or challenge can turn goal-setting into a game, where the financial penalty acts as an extrinsic motivator to substitute for any shortfall in intrinsic drive.- Consistency and Habit Formation: These strategies help enforce repeated, consistent behavior until a new habit forms. Research suggests that consistency over roughly two months is often sufficient to solidify a new habit.Together, these insights explain why commitment devices work so effectively—they help overcome common psychological hurdles such as procrastination and the allure of immediate gratification.## ConclusionBoth financial stakes and accountability partners/referees are powerful tools for achieving goals and establishing lasting habits. The research is compelling: from weight loss and smoking cessation to general goal attainment, putting your money on the line and committing to regular accountability can double or triple your chances of success [1, 3, 7, 8]. Real-world case studies demonstrate that these approaches work across various contexts, providing a significant edge when personal willpower might otherwise falter.For anyone serious about achieving a goal, the message is clear: don’t rely solely on willpower. Instead, introduce a measured financial risk and enlist an accountability partner to help transform your aspirations into reality.---## References1. A randomized controlled trial of financial incentives for weight loss
URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3583583/#:~:text=Results,value2. Financial incentive-based approaches for weight loss - PubMed
URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19066383/#:~:text=PubMed%20pubmed,that%20was%20not%20fully%20sustained3. A randomized controlled trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation
URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16434580/#:~:text=,incentive%20group%20were%20not4. [PDF] Put Your Money Where Your Butts Are:
URL: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/10986/4177/1/WPS4985.pdf#:~:text=,a%20urine%20test%20for5. [PDF] NBER Working Paper Series – Incentives, Commitments, and Exercise
URL: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w18580/w18580.pdf#:~:text=,Our%20work%20adds%20to6. Key issues in the design of pay for performance programs - PMC
URL: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3535413/#:~:text=Key%20issues%20in%20the%20design,above%20a%20certain%20payment7. New Study Says This Simple Step Will Increase the Odds of Achieving Your Goals
URL: https://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/this-study-found-1-simple-step-to-practically-guarantee-youll-achieve-your-goals-for-real.html#:~:text=New%20Study%20Says%20This%20Simple,steps%20below%20are%20what8. The Power of Accountability - AFCPE
URL: https://www.afcpe.org/news-and-publications/the-standard/2018-3/the-power-of-accountability/#:~:text=Planning%20how%20to%20do%20it%3A,someone%20you%27ve%20committed%20to%3A%20959. Loss Aversion - The Decision Lab
URL: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/loss-aversion#:~:text=Loss%20aversion%20,as%20the%20pleasure%20of%20gaining---This version removes all specific provider references and uses numbered citations with full study URLs provided at the bottom for verifiability.

Terms and Conditions

# Terms and ConditionsWebsite Name: MotivationGuaranteed.com
Effective Date: February 10, 2025
Last Updated: February 10, 2025Welcome to MotivationGuaranteed.com (referred to herein as “the Site,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms and Conditions (“T&C”) govern your access to and use of our website, services, and any associated content, functionality, or features (collectively, the “Services”). By using or accessing the Services, you agree to be bound by these T&C. If you do not agree, please discontinue use immediately.We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify, add, or delete portions of these T&C at any time. If we do so, we will post the changes on this page and indicate the date of the last revision. Your continued use of the Site after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated T&C. Please check back periodically for updates.## 1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing or using any part of the Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these T&C and any additional terms and conditions referenced herein or otherwise made available to you via the Site. If you do not accept these T&C in full, you are not authorized to use or access the Site or the Services.## 2. Eligibility
1. Age Restriction: You must be at least 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to access or use the Services. By using the Services, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old.
2. Legal Capacity: You must have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts to use our Services.
3. Void Where Prohibited: Use of the Site is void where prohibited by law.## 3. The Services
We offer motivational and accountability tools to help users accomplish their personal goals by staking a monetary amount (“Stake”) and appointing a referee (“Referee”) to verify completion of those goals.1. Setting a Goal: You choose a goal that is concrete, measurable, and time-bound.
2. Betting on Yourself: You pledge an amount of money (the “Stake”) high enough to motivate you.
3. Referee Appointment: You select a Referee you trust to verify completion of your goal, or you may request that we act as Referee (subject to availability and our sole discretion).
4. Completion and Verification:
- Upon your completion date, your Referee will receive an email (or other communication) prompting them to confirm whether you have achieved your goal.
- The Referee has three (3) days to respond. If they fail to respond or indicate non-completion, your Stake is forfeited.
5. Refund of Stake / Forfeiture:
- If your Referee confirms that you have successfully completed your goal, your Stake is returned to you (minus any applicable fees; see Section 5).
- If your Referee does not confirm completion or confirms non-completion, your Stake is forfeited. A portion may be donated to charity; see Section 6 for more details.## 4. Registration Data and Account Security
1. Accurate Information: You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when creating an account or using the Services (“Registration Data”).
2. Security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials (username and password) and for all activities that occur under your account.
3. Multiple Accounts: You agree not to register for more than one account unless we specifically authorize it.
4. Updates: You agree to promptly update the Registration Data to keep it accurate, current, and complete.
5. Responsibility: You are fully responsible for any actions that take place using your account. If you suspect unauthorized use, please notify us immediately.## 5. Payments and Fees
1. Stake Amount (USD): All monetary pledges and transactions on the Site are processed in U.S. Dollars (USD).
2. Secure Payments: We use third-party payment processors to handle monetary transactions. By providing payment information, you authorize us (and our authorized payment processors) to process your payment.
3. Processing Fees:
- For amounts below 100 USD, we cover the processing fees for returns.
- For amounts 100 USD and above, a processing fee may be deducted from your returned Stake. This is due to external card payment processors charging a fee that needs to the covered. .
4. No Tax Deduction: Donations made via forfeited Stakes are not tax-deductible through our platform.
5. User Responsibility: You must ensure you have sufficient funds or credit to cover your Stake. We are not responsible for overdraft fees, chargebacks, or other banking penalties.## 6. Donations
1. Charitable Donations: If you fail to complete your goal, a portion of your forfeited Stake may be donated to non-partisan charities (“the Charities”).
2. Allocation of Donations: We reserve the right to redistribute donations if necessary. For instance, if a cause requires a minimum donation amount and your forfeiture does not meet it, we will reallocate funds accordingly.
3. No Tax Benefit: You acknowledge and agree that donations made through forfeited Stakes do not qualify for tax deductions in any jurisdiction.## 7. User Conduct and Code of Conduct
You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:- Multiple or False Accounts: Registering multiple accounts without authorization, impersonating another person or entity, or misrepresenting your affiliation.
- Harvesting Data: Collecting usernames, email addresses, or other data from the Site for the purpose of sending unsolicited communications (“spam”) or any other unauthorized use.
- Malicious Activity: Uploading or transmitting any viruses, malware, or other harmful code that may damage the Site or users’ devices.
- Unauthorized Commercial Use: Posting advertisements, promotions, or commercial content unrelated to the Services, or using the Site to promote or sell products/services without our express written permission.
- Unlawful or Objectionable Content: Posting or sharing content that is defamatory, obscene, hateful, invasive of privacy rights, or otherwise objectionable or illegal.
- Circumventing Security Measures: Attempting to bypass or hack any security feature of the Site, or using automated methods (e.g., bots, LLMs, data mining tools) to access, extract data, or interact with the Site without authorization.
- Interference: Doing anything that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the functionality of the Site or Services.
- Accountability: You agree to adhere to all applicable laws and to respect the rights and dignity of others when using our Services.We reserve the right (but have no obligation) to monitor, remove, or modify any content or account that violates this Code of Conduct or for any other legitimate reason at our sole discretion.## 8. User-Generated Content (If Enabled)
(Applicable if the Site introduces user-posted material such as photos, videos, or text updates.)1. Ownership and License: Any content (e.g., text, photos, videos) you post on the Site (“User Content”) remains your property. However, by posting User Content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute such content in connection with the Services.
2. Content Removal: We reserve the right to remove or modify any User Content that violates these T&C or is otherwise objectionable, at our sole discretion.
3. Responsibility: You are solely responsible for any User Content you post. You warrant that you have all necessary rights to post such content, and that doing so does not infringe any third-party rights.
4. No Obligation to Monitor: We are not obligated to monitor User Content but may do so to ensure compliance with these T&C.## 9. Third-Party Links and Services
1. External Sites: The Site may contain links to third-party websites or services. These are provided for your convenience only. We do not endorse or assume responsibility for any third-party sites, content, or practices.
2. No Control: We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of external sites linked to or referenced on the Site.
3. Separate Terms: When you leave our Site, you are subject to the separate terms and conditions of any external site you visit. We encourage you to review their policies.## 10. Data Integrity, Downtime, and Technical Issues
1. No Guarantee of Availability: The Site may be temporarily unavailable from time to time for maintenance, updates, or other reasons. We make no guarantee regarding uptime or availability.
2. Data Loss: We are not responsible for any loss or damage to data, including user-uploaded content, that may result from technical failures, unauthorized access, or other causes.
3. Maintenance: We reserve the right to perform unscheduled maintenance at any time, which may limit or suspend access to the Site or Services.## 11. Virus / Malware Disclaimer
While we strive to maintain a secure environment, we cannot guarantee that the Site, servers, or emails sent from us are free of viruses or harmful components. You are advised to use industry-recognized software to detect and disinfect viruses and malware. Any downloads or use of materials from the Site are at your own risk.## 12. Health / Medical Disclaimer
We are not a medical organization. Our Services, content, and any related communications are provided for motivational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.
- No Doctor-Patient Relationship: Nothing on the Site creates or substitutes for a doctor-patient relationship.
- Consult Professionals: Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any health or fitness program.## 13. Disputes Between Users
If users interact with each other (e.g., as part of group challenges or refereeing):
1. User Responsibility: You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users.
2. No Liability: We are not liable for user-user disputes and have no obligation to mediate conflicts but may do so at our discretion.
3. Referee Decisions: The Site is not responsible for ensuring the accuracy or fairness of a Referee’s decision.## 14. “Motivation Guaranteed” Disclaimer
1. Scope of Guarantee: Our “Motivation Guaranteed” language refers solely to the system where, if you succeed, you are refunded your Stake, and if you fail, your Stake is forfeited. It does not guarantee actual goal completion, nor does it guarantee any personal, health, or financial results.
2. No Other Guarantees: We do not guarantee weight loss, financial gain, health improvements, or any other outcomes.## 15. Disclaimer of Warranties
1. As-Is Basis: The Site and Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
2. No Warranty on Results: We do not guarantee any particular results—financial, health-related, or otherwise—from using the Services.
3. User Discretion: You download or otherwise obtain content, materials, or data through the Site at your own discretion and risk, and you are solely responsible for any damage to your device or data loss.## 16. Limitation of Liability
1. Indirect Damages: To the fullest extent permitted by law, we, our affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages.
2. Cap on Liability: In no event shall our total liability exceed the amount of your Stake for the relevant challenge or 100 USD, whichever is greater.## 17. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless MotivationGuaranteed.com, its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from:
1. Your use of and access to the Site or Services;
2. Your violation of any provision of these T&C;
3. Your violation of any third-party right, including any intellectual property or privacy right;
4. Any claim that you caused damage to a third party.## 18. Dispute Resolution; Governing Law
1. Governing Law: These T&C shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Norway, specifically the laws of Oslo, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions.
2. Jurisdiction: Any dispute arising out of or relating to these T&C or the Services shall be resolved in the courts of Oslo, Norway, unless prohibited by law.
3. Class Action Waiver: You agree to resolve disputes on an individual basis. You waive any right to pursue claims on a class or consolidated basis.## 19. Termination
1. Termination by You: You may discontinue use of the Services at any time. However, if you have an active challenge, you may remain bound by those specific terms until the challenge concludes.
2. Termination by Us: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Site or Services at any time, for any reason, including non-compliance with these T&C, without liability.
3. Survival: The following sections shall survive termination: Limitation of Liability (Section 16), Indemnification (Section 17), Dispute Resolution (Section 18), and any other sections that by their nature should survive.## 20. Modifications to the Site and Services
We reserve the right to modify, discontinue, or update any part of the Site or Services at any time without prior notice. Such modifications may include changing fees, payment structures, donation distributions, or features of the Services.## 21. No Agency or Partnership
Nothing in these T&C shall be construed as creating an agency, partnership, joint venture, employer-employee, or franchisor-franchisee relationship between you and MotivationGuaranteed.com. You agree you are using our Services as an independent party.## 22. Entire Agreement
These T&C, together with any additional agreements or policies referenced herein (e.g., Privacy Policy, any separate “Challenge-Specific” agreements), constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Services. If there is a separate written agreement or “Commitment Contract,” its terms may supplement but do not necessarily replace these T&C unless explicitly stated.## 23. Miscellaneous
1. Severability: If any provision of these T&C is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be struck, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
2. No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision in these T&C does not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
3. Force Majeure: We shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes outside our reasonable control (e.g., natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor conditions, governmental actions).
4. Language: These T&C are provided in the English language. If a translation conflicts with the English version, the English version shall prevail.## 24. Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]---Acknowledgement
By using the Site, creating an account, or placing a Stake, you acknowledge that you have read these Terms and Conditions, understand them, and agree to be bound by them.Thank you for choosing MotivationGuaranteed.com. We look forward to supporting you in achieving your goals!

Start your goal now!

^{Money is secured with Stripe's advanced protection.}

I accept the terms & conditions

Set your goal!

• Challenge friends
• *get a referee

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How effective is it?

Action	Effectiveness
Write down and commit to your goal 🎯	+33%
Pledge a money stake💰	+300%
Add a referee ⚖️	+200%

Use our system and increase you chance of implementing your goal habit or challenge by almost 600%!🚀🎯

• Let's go!

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Group goal

Want to create a challenge together with others? Simple, decide on one referee together, then all of you individually add the same goal and completion date (and the chosen referee).Voila, you are in it together! Use this opportunity to keep each other motivated.

^{Money is secured with Stripe's advanced protection.}

I accept the terms & conditions

Set your goal!

---

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Congrats on setting your goal!

Now, it is time to get started.You and your referee should shortly receive a email with a bit more information.Good luck!Tip: Remember to check your spam folder!

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Contact

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Collaboration

Do you want to collaborate? If you have any ideas for how we might help you, your following or other ways of collaborating, write us a message and let's see what opportunities might lie ahead.

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Feedback

Do you have feedback, ideas or suggestions for improvement? Please let us know. Our goal is to help people reach their goals, meet their challenges and get better habits. If you've come up with a clever way to help this mission, please let us know. We would be very thankful.Have a wonderful day!

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Referee

Are you lacking a referee or friend to keep you accountable? there can be many reasons for this, sometimes you want to keep your goal to yourself, or simply don't have anyone that can help with this specific goal.We are here to help! Simply add [email protected] to the referee box in the goal form, and we will act as your referee. We take a small fee of $15 for this.Good luck with your challenge!

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What's your goal?

• Challenge friends
• *get a referee

Motivation isn't easy, but it is simple. Studies show we take action when we find the activity pleasurable, or when not doing them feels too painful.

By betting on yourself and pledging amount, the potential loss of your money stake adds motivation for you to complete it. Set it high enough and you add massive motivation and commitment to complete your goal 🚀

By betting on yourself and pledging amount, the potential loss of your money stake adds motivation for you to complete it. Set it high enough and you add massive motivation and commitment to complete your goal 🚀

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