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By Root 313 0

I’ve asked clients to write out checks for each goal they want to achieve. Sometimes the amount is small, say a hundred dollars, and other times I’ve asked for much larger sums, up to fifty thousand dollars. The amount needs to be painful for those writing the check, whether they’re a multimillionaire or someone aspiring to be. For every goal they reach, I return a check. For every failed attempt, I send the check to someone they’d never want the money to go to, such as a rival in business, a competitor, an ex-lover, or an organization they would otherwise never make a donation to. I made one client write out his checks to his ex-wife. Our deal was this: If he didn’t achieve his desired goal, each check would be sent with a letter that read, “Dear Honey, I found some extra cash. If you need more, just call.” He worked twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to make sure all of his goals were achieved. He couldn’t stand the idea of his ex-wife getting an extra penny more than she’d already gotten in their divorce. The thought of me giving a check to his ex-wife was the motivation he needed, and the structure and accountability he required, to not quit until he reached his goal.

If you really need change and you’re stuck in a rut, money talks. Put yourself on a strict accountability program.

If you want to test this approach for yourself, the next time you say you want to lose weight, start a workout plan or establish any other goal, write a check to someone you don’t respect along with a note that reads, “Dear friend, I just wanted you to know I’ve looked up to and admired you for years. I have silently observed you and have learned so many lessons by the way you move through the world. I know I could never repay my debt of gratitude, but I thought this money would be a good start.”

Put the letter and check in a preaddressed envelope and give it to someone you trust to hold it for you. Next, tell them your goal—to lose twenty pounds by July 17 or go to the gym four days a week, whatever. If you haven’t reached that goal, tell them to put the letter in the mail, no questions asked. The next time you reach for that cookie, ice cream, or stack of pancakes and order of bacon, or hit the snooze button on your alarm clock to stay in bed rather than get up and work out, ask yourself the following questions: “Is that food or sleep worth sending my money? Does that one burst of pleasure and joy mean more to me than the money I’ve sealed in that envelope?” I guarantee that suddenly food won’t taste as good, or those few extra minutes of sleep won’t mean as much. That will be the beginning of real change.

Over the years, I have sent out numerous checks that clients have written, for as much as a thousand dollars. And although I’ve never sent out one for fifty grand, I came close with a client a few years back. He was extremely talented and owned several multimillion-dollar companies. He needed to make a quantum leap in business by finding a replacement for himself in each of his corporations. He loved being a micromanager but recognized that his management style was actually a trap because it prevented his companies from growing. His negative pattern was to hire managers and various other leaders, empower them, and then fire them within a year because they weren’t meeting his expectations. Of course, they were failing because he was micromanaging these experts and not allowing them to do their jobs.

We agreed that he would profile the right people for the jobs and hire them without the possibility of firing them for two years. Our deal was this: If he fired any of his new managers because of his micromanaging ways, his check for fifty thousand dollars would be sent to an organization he despised. This was an extreme measure, but it worked. We changed a major fault in his leadership style and, in the process, increased the productivity and profitability of his companies.

Crazy?

You bet. But what’s even crazier is to keep repeating the same cycles and continuing to live by default. Think about your life twenty years from