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Procrastination can turn those with optimistic big ideas into a ball of self-hate when it stops them realizing their dreams. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of negative reinforcement to scare people into bettering themselves. That’s the premise of Go Fucking Do It, a platform that motivates people to achieve life goals and deadlines by forcing them to pay up if they miss their targets.

The site is the brainchild of blogger Pieter Levels, who calls himself a digital nomad and aims to launch 12 startups in 12 months while on the road. Go Fucking Do It is the second, and aims to motivate people to complete tasks or achieve life goals. This could be finishing a college paper, starting a blog or running a marathon. The catch is that if they don’t do what they said they would, they pay a fine. Users log their target and deadline, and set the fee they’re willing to pay — up to USD 1000 if they wish — along with their bank details. They then choose a friend or family member to act as a referee. On the deadline date, the referee is contacted by Go Fucking Do It and asked to confirm if the goal has been completed. If not, the money is delivered to the startup to spend as they wish — the site says that sending the money to charity gives users an easy pass if they don’t reach their target.

Although we’ve also already seen the Pavlok wristband deliver electric shocks whenever wearers fail to meet their goals, it’s open to debate whether penalties such as these actually achieve results. Are there other ways to prompt people into positive action?