Lazy People's Comeback: I Lost 20 Pounds with Friends' Supervision and Kept Writing Daily for 700 Days

The Power of Public Accountability

If it weren't for public writing, I would have given up a long time ago. In middle and high school, I realized I was extremely un自律. Whether it was making plans or setting goals, I often didn't follow through or only completed a small part. I even bought some books about self-discipline, but I couldn't get into them, and they ended up gathering dust.

When I started writing as a side hustle and kept it up for over 700 days, I found something: My goal wasn't to be "self-disciplined," but to finish a task. As long as I could reach the goal, the method didn't matter much, as long as there were no major issues in the process.

Using External Pressure to Achieve Goals

For example, if self-discipline doesn't work, you can use external discipline. I didn't have this concept before, but now I understand it means using outside pressure to push yourself. When I studied at home, I couldn't control myself. I was lazy and easily distracted. But at school, it was different. There were classmates, teachers, and all kinds of rules and external pressure. You had to focus more, and the school's schedule made it easier to manage time.

Since I could do it at school, when I couldn't at home, I could create a similar environment. For instance, you can find someone to supervise you and publicly set some goals. The reason I could keep writing daily for over two years was that my content was public. I had to post what I wrote every day. This public pressure forced me to keep producing, creating an image of being "productive" or having a strong "output ability."

Losing weight works the same way. It's all about bringing in external pressure. There's a saying, "A gentleman is cautious when alone." It's hard to control the weaknesses in human nature when you're by yourself. If you're the type who "works sporadically," you can try this method. Don't just find one or two friends to supervise you. The pressure won't be enough. It's better to find a group of people, dozens or even hundreds.

You can publicly set a goal on your social media or in your social circle and then share your progress daily or weekly. This process might put some pressure on you and even make you uncomfortable, but it really helps you reach your final goal. You'll have to think about it every day and take action because you'll care about your reputation and how you're seen in your social circle. That's why you'll find a way to get the job done.

The Key to Success

Many things aren't difficult in themselves, and there are no technical barriers. You just don't want to do them or are too lazy to move. However, this method has a prerequisite: You must really care about the thing. Publicly setting goals and sharing progress isn't for getting likes and encouragement from others. It's for others to supervise you. Some people set public goals just to get attention or support, and these goals usually end up being abandoned quickly.

Because the process is boring, others won't like your posts every day. Usually, people will support you in the first day or two, but for the next five, ten, or even a hundred days, you have to keep going on your own to see results. People might give you more encouragement because of your perseverance and the final outcome.

When you actually do it, I suggest setting goals in stages. Don't plan for too long at the beginning. For example, you can set a cycle of 14 or 21 days, at most a month. Don't set a goal for 100 days, 200 days, or even a year right away. If the time is too long, it's easy to fail or give up halfway. A long cycle will make you lose motivation and feel bored. It's hard when you can't see the end.

Using short cycles, you can have a one-week break between each plan to rest and relax. You don't have to keep going all the time. Overworking your mind will affect your efficiency and the quality of your work later.

Two Effective Ways

Compared to relying solely on self-discipline, a more effective way is to lead others in doing things, like "teaching while learning." When you lead others, especially when you charge for it, whether it's writing or exercising, you have to do it yourself first. As the leader, you need to set an example. And when you've taken people's money, you'll have more motivation and pressure. I've mentioned this method before, and it really works.

Leading others will greatly improve the quality of your results because you have to deliver and can't be careless. If you're doing it alone, you might be lazy or just go through the motions. But when you're responsible for others, the pressure is greater, and the final quality will be much higher than when you do it alone.

I usually use two ways: One is to publicly set goals and plans and let others watch. The other is to charge and lead others to do things together. Usually, the second way is suitable when you already have some influence, trust, and a good reputation, and you're good at commercializing your skills.

Generally, I do this thing myself anyway, and I just take others along with me. So, whether you're self-disciplined or not doesn't really matter. The key is to achieve your goals.

Daily Reading & Writing by Xiaolu 2025.09.21【day747】