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taryneast comments on Fighting Akrasia: Incentivising Action - Less Wrong
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I find this strategy to be non-optimal, and sometimes downright counter-effective.
Firstly because it's a PITA to be that romantic partner: having to not only motivate oneself but somebody else as well. If you care about your romantic partner, you'll be helping them have an easier life, not a more difficult one (though leave yourself open for mutual motivation agreements).
Secondly - because if you externalise your procrastination, you aren't "really" learning the habit that you're trying to instill... if the external motivation stops - so will your new-found habit.
Thirdly - because the pathological case can be dire. I've seen partnerships where, for example, one person has been asked to motivate the other into giving up cigarettes... then after a while, the smoker began to resent the "nagging" from the motivator (even though they were originally asked) and then, when the smoker fell off the wagon they actually blamed the motivator for failing to motivate them enough.
Bottom line: it's ok to ask somebody to help you out... but don't use them as a crutch, and recognise that it's not universally beneficial.
You raise good points and I think I mostly agree.
From my own experience I know how much a good social environment can help. In my current job the support and inspiration from other group members has greatly helped me with getting things done(as opposed to doing them on my own). I think a lot of the problems with procrastination is that many of the tasks we do nowadays are no longer group tasks, instead we do them on our own like:
Agreed, a supportive social environment is definitely a good thing. Especially if you surround yourself with peers who think it's normal to do what you're trying to achieve, for example - eat healthily and play sports, or who think rationally and get things done.
I think there's a big difference between "supportive friends" and "a drill-instructor whose job it is to motivate you". I think the latter is purely external motivation, whereas the former lets you set up an environment conducive to intrinsic motivation.