Voluntarily increasing stakes conditional to completion of projects result in a better outcome?

Recently I did an experiment on myself. I signed up for two free online courses by paying an amount for a certificate people do not recognize. I wanted to learn this topic but quit too soon a few times in the past. This time I wanted to see whether paying a significantly large amount would be a good motivation to stay committed to learning by seeking value for the paid amount. It worked. Doing two rigorous semester-long courses, with no in-person support system, in a field with no familiarity along with a full-time job was intense. There were times I had enough good reasons to quit but somehow I did not. This exercise really forced me to prioritize every day, for good! I would love to hear your thoughts on this. I am building a product around this idea to help others like me. If you want to know more or are interested to give it a spin, visit https://nudgewise.com