Why Aspiry?

Aug 27, 2019

Aspiry was born out of my previous project, Accountability Pledge. With Accountability Pledge, I wanted to help people commit to doing the things they wanted to do, but weren’t, and needed a little extra push.

The idea was that you could sign up for challenges like “30 days without drinking” or “Write every day for 21 days”. You would pledge a dollar amount that you’d be willing to pay for each day that you didn’t complete your desired activity. I hypothesized that this would be a good way to motivate people. I mean, who likes losing money?!

However, as I was researching and building the product, I began to learn more about how accountability works. I recognized from both the research and my own personal experience, that money isn’t actually very motivating to people. We think it is, but studies show that in reality it isn’t. I knew that I could continue building Accountability Pledge, but it wouldn’t be that useful of a tool for helping people achieve their dreams.

Enter Aspiry.

I realized that the problem Accountability Pledge was trying to solve is, “Why can’t I stick to a long-term goal and what can I do about it?”.

Creative types often struggle with this. They have so many ideas and interests that they want to explore. David Kadavy wrote a great article about this, comparing the difference between the P vs J Myers Briggs types.

“What’s hard for perceivers and judgers? Perceivers have no problem coming up with creative ideas, but struggle to make the decisions necessary to make those ideas a reality. The final product may never see the light of day. "

– David Kadavy

If you find yourself nodding in agreement to that quote, Aspiry is designed for you. I’ve been using it for a month now, and for the first time in my life, I am hyper focused on making my long-term goals become reality. Every day, I review and reaffirm my vision. Day to day decisions are easier to make now. I just ask myself, “Will this put me closer or further from achieving my long-term vision?” and act accordingly.

As an example, I’ve recently turned down consulting gigs that I previously would have jumped at because I thought that’s what I should be doing. However, building a dynamite consulting business isn’t my dream. My dream is to build products that help people achieve their goals and desires. With Aspiry reminding me of my vision every day, it’s become obvious to say no to opportunities that don’t align with my vision.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love for you to try out Aspiry and see if it benefits you in the same way it has for me. My hope is that you go forth, take ownership of your life, and make your dreams into your reality.