I'm with you. When I announce to people that I am going to undertake a big challenge, part of the reason to do so is to put pressure on myself to complete the t

I'm with you. When I announce to people that I am going to undertake a big challenge, part of the reason to do so is to put pressure on myself to complete the task. If you don't tell anyone, dropping out is easy -- there is no loss of face associated with it. When I started my grad school studies, not only did I announce it to my friends and family, I also started a blog -- not the same as Ali and the rumble, but still it involves putting a stake in the ground in a very public way. It forced me to give regular updates to my audience (and also keep my own studies moving forward) and avoid long stretches without any activity.