🏰 The Hugo Method
In 1830, Victor Hugo faced an impossible deadline. Instead of writing The Hunchback of Notre Dame, he procrastinated for months. His desperate solution? He had his servant sneak into his bedroom at night, steal all his clothes, and lock the door from the outside.
Hugo would wake up trapped in a room with only a bed and a desk—no clothes, no way out. The only way his servant would unlock the door and return his clothes was if he wrote 3,000 words and slipped them under the door. He finished his masterpiece two weeks early.
Victor Hugo, master of commitment devices
This brilliant "commitment device" transformed his procrastination into productivity by making the wrong choice impossible, not just harder.
⚡ Your Modern Commitment Device
ClockBlocked brings Hugo's strategy to your morning routine. When you hit snooze or sleep through your alarm, the app automatically charges your credit card and donates the money to charity.
6:00 AM
Snooze = $5 to charity
Just like Hugo's locked clothes, make the wrong choice cost you something real.
-
Financial Commitment
Set your penalty amount - every snooze costs you -
Charitable Impact
Your procrastination funds causes you care about -
Progress Tracking
Watch your morning discipline improve over time -
No Escape Routes
Like Hugo's locked clothes, no easy way out