Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

'No Porn at Work,' and 16 Other Bizarre Goals People Committed to Humans are strange beasts. The proof is in this bewildering list, courtesy of the goal-getters at motivational app StickK.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Getty Images | Guido Mieth

Humans are tenacious beings. We're flawed and we know it and we strive to be better. Then we fail and try again.

In the broader scope, the aspects about ourselves we strive to improve often include the usual stuff -- waking up earlier to squeeze more productivity out of our days, exercising more often to stay fit and live longer and saving money to live comfortably after retirement. Nothing too out there.

Then there's the just plain weird. For example, when people pledge to try not to watch porn at work, not to bang their head when raging out and not speaking excessively slowly to foreigners. You can't make this stuff up. We're certainly not. These truly are some of the more bizarre commitments people have made when using StickK, a motivational goal-tracking app designed by behavioral economists at Yale University.

Related: 6 Apps That Help You Stick to Your Goals

Similar to betting, StickK users put money down toward a personal-improvement commitment. If they don't keep their commitment, they give the money away to a person of their choosing (friend or foe), or to charity. If they stick to it and succeed, the money is theirs to keep, along with their pride.

"Attaching a financial incentive to your personal goals reinforces your resolve and willpower and increases your likelihood of success," StickK co-founder and CEO Jordan Goldberg tells Entrepreneur. He claims people who use StickK are three times more likely to succeed in achieving their goals than those who don't. (Full disclosure, it worked for one Entrepreneur reporter.)

But let's get back to the bizarre stuff users pledge to do with the app, shall we? Courtesy of StickK, here are 17 quirky and/or disturbing goals people have committed to. They were shared with us anonymously.

1. "Don't masturbate for 40 days."

2. "Don't cheat on my wife."

3. "Find a money-free wife."

4. "McVomits -- I commit to not eating McDonald's, Burger King or Jack in the Box for one month."

5. "Stop head-banging out of anger -- and stop using music to assert my anger."

6. "Speak slowly to foreigners."

7. "Do NOT cut hair without his permission."

8. "No porn at work or deleting my web history."

9. "Social skydiving for 30 days: Talking to and initiating a conversation with one stranger a day for 30 days."

10. "Learn to climb a rope."

11. "Dunk a basketball in a game."

12. "Have more sex: Initiating sex with my wife at least 2 times each week."

13. "30 dates by 30: I commit to going on 30 dates by the time I turn 30."

14. "Ask a random attractive girl to coffee."

15. "Skin: Stop picking at and destroying the skin on my face, back and chest."

16. "Play Chopin's Etude Opus 10 Number 5: I will play the piece at full tempo with the correct notes and the right fingerings."

17. "Fight!: Stepping into the ring/mat/cage in 2011 at least once to hurt or be hurt in the process."
Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

At 16, She Started a Side Hustle While 'Stuck at Home.' Now It's on Track to Earn Over $3.1 Million This Year.

Evangelina Petrakis, 21, was in high school when she posted on social media for fun — then realized a business opportunity.

Health & Wellness

I'm a CEO, Founder and Father of 2 — Here Are 3 Practices That Help Me Maintain My Sanity.

This is a combination of active practices that I've put together over a decade of my intense entrepreneurial journey.

Business News

Remote Work Enthusiast Kevin O'Leary Does TV Appearance Wearing Suit Jacket, Tie and Pajama Bottoms

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary looks all business—until you see the wide view.

Business News

Are Apple Smart Glasses in the Works? Apple Is Eyeing Meta's Ran-Ban Success Story, According to a New Report.

Meta has sold more than 700,000 pairs of smart glasses, with demand even ahead of supply at one point.

Money & Finance

The 'Richest' U.S. City Probably Isn't Where You Think It Is

It's not located in New York or California.

Business News

Hybrid Workers Were Put to the Test Against Fully In-Office Employees — Here's Who Came Out On Top

Productivity barely changed whether employees were in the office or not. However, hybrid workers reported better job satisfaction than in-office workers.