“And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away.” -Jesus (Matthew 5:30)
I’d suggest to you that Jesus is NOT a proponent of self-mutilation. But he’s making an emphatic point. In essence, “Reduce the likelihood of future poor choices by taking extreme measures now.”
Psychologists call this a “commitment device” because it a mechanism that helps you keep today’s commitments tomorrow.
Atomic Habit author, James Clear, puts it this way:
“You can curb your future eating habits by purchasing food in individual packages rather than in the bulk size. You can stop wasting time on your phone by deleting games or social media apps. You can reduce the likelihood of mindless channel surfing by hiding your TV in a closet and only taking it out on big game days. You can voluntarily ask to be added to the banned list at casinos and online gambling sites to prevent future gambling sprees. You can build an emergency fund by setting up an automatic transfer of funds to your savings account. These are commitment devices.”
Is there a change you’ve wanted to make but haven’t followed through? What commitment device might serve you?