Commitment Contract 2026

• The rationale for the contract: No excuses. The grand experiment.
• January review: Good morning, Vietnam! The first month of a grand experiment.

In 2025, I made significant progress with them all. I am aware that none of these things add any value to my existence, except for instant gratification.

Zero computer and mobile games

This includes Twitch or YouTube streams.

The only exceptions are Half-Life 3 and The Elder Scrolls VI. That is when I will come back and reconsider this item (I don't have a computer to play them anyway).

Zero alcohol and weed

It's not a problem at all. In 2025, I had only two crazy weeks. The rest of the time, I have been entirely sober.

Zero adult content

One-year abstinence is a solid statement. Do you know anyone who has abstained for so long?

Zero obviously harmful food

Reconsidered: Zero → Less.

Whenever I can control it: pure added sugar, sweets, desserts, chips, deep-fried meals, refined oil, and fast food.

Add

• 1 hour of studying a piano piece and music theory every day.
• 1 hour of studying software engineering every day.
• 30 minutes of light exercise or 10,000 steps.
• Writing a sleep journal.

Keep

• No PC or mobile games.
• No alcohol or weed.
• No adult content.
• No social media doomscrolling.
• Expense tracking, to determine the true cost of living in Vietnam.
• Sleep hygiene (no phone in bed and a consistent wake-up time).
• Morning routine (sun exposure and exercise).
• Daily journaling.

Zero doomscrolling

I blocked YouTube Shorts on my laptop. Since I've never had TikTok, and Instagram is also blocked, the only problem is the Shorts in the YouTube mobile app. So, it rests on my word of honor.

Sleep hygiene

Never use my laptop or phone in bed. No checking the time when I wake up in the middle of the night. Checking the time is allowed only when it is critical for a planned activity, like catching a flight.

Sports & rehab (on pause)

Physical maintenance every day. This includes weightlifting, calisthenics, rehab, mobility, or cardio.

Morning routine

Complete a morning routine every day:

• A glass of water.
• A 10-minute mobility exercise (on pause).
• Sun exposure, ideally concurrent with exercise.
• Healthy breakfast & supplements (creatine, vitamins, omega-3).