Under pressure

Wang's running resolution won many "likes" from his friends on WeChat, but he soon felt under pressure to carry on.

"I was motivated at first," he said. "But after I finished the first 1,000 km, I started thinking of giving up because it was far away from my aim. However, my pride pushed me to keep running and posting updates.

"Boasting among friends is a good way to supervise you while forming a habit. It's a kind of supervision from others. Even though I was tired or lazy to move sometimes, I finished my daily task and clocked in."

Beijing resident Wu Yanbo, 27, also thinks outside pressure is effective when building a habit.

She has been using a mobile application to learn English for about three months.

The app encourages its users to clock in every day with a credit system that rewards them for completing their daily assignment.

Wu paid about 500 yuan ($74) to use the app for half a year. Each day, she has to punch in and work on the set assignment for at least 30 minutes.

"It would be stressful for a few days without punching in, because the system will keep reminding you," she said.

Wu remembers once getting a reminder at an airport after not clocking in for days. The pressure led her to open the app and practice until she boarded the plane.

"Another time, I was practicing on the app before bed, but I was so sleepy that I fell asleep after finishing 28 minutes of study, so it didn't count," she said.

Habit formed

Wu said she was influenced by others after seeing them use the app to learn English.

"Chinese people have a more open mind now, and people want to communicate with the outside world," she said.

"Many are using the app, including retirees and parents who study with their children."

Wang, the runner, also influenced others to clock in. Five of his friends embraced daka after seeing his running updates, using the method to encourage themselves to swim, run, play tennis or cultivate other habits.

"We will see each other's updates on WeChat, as a form of supervision," he said. "When I calculated my mileage incorrectly, they would remind me.

"The pressure is active because it wins you encouragement and support from others. It's not passive like the punishment for failing to finish something. The active pressure makes you persist longer."