Is "positive reinforcement" a scam for developers? I’m testing a "Penalty" system

I’ve realized that no amount of "streak rewards" or "praise" keeps me coding when I’m tired, lazy or not in the mood of doing it. I just ignore the notifications. it's too soft and the next day I feel guilty.

To find the solution for it, ​I started a project where I have to pay 100 rupees every day if I don’t push code to GitHub. Since there’s actual "skin in the game," it is helping me to push the changes on github. by this my productivity has increased a lot, we all can agree on it, like we work a little seriously if there is something to lose.

​The Question: Are we actually lazy, or do we just lack real consequences? Would you actually work harder if failure cost you money, or is that just toxic?

​I built a basic auditor for this (Vigilante.ocix.in) because I couldn't find anything "mean" enough. Curious if anyone else has tried "negative stakes" or if I’m just insane.