Ulysses Pacts: STOP believing in your self

Final week, I downloaded a brand new online game to play.

And half-hour later, I uninstalled the sport. Not as a result of I didn’t like the sport, however particularly as a result of I favored the sport an excessive amount of. The sport is known as Dave the Diver, the place you’re a SCUBA Diver/Sushi restaurant proprietor. You spend every day diving and catching fish, after which every night serving sushi on the restaurant.

This sport pressed each organic button my mind has for “effectivity.”

My mind advised me I needed to execute every dive as effectively as doable. Every evening on the restaurant meant I wanted to obtain a 100% buyer satisfaction ranking.

In fact, nothing would occur if I didn’t.

However this sport + my mind equaled a recipe for addictive catastrophe. After half-hour I knew if I didn’t delete it, I might spend each doable minute enjoying the sport, and each minute not enjoying could be spent fascinated with find out how to get extra environment friendly on the sport.

As a result of I’m in the course of writing a secret-book-shaped-project that I can’t speak about… I knew I wanted to avoid wasting Future Steve.

In different phrases, it was time to channel an historical technique for survival:

A “Ulysses Pact.”

What’s a Ulysses Pact?

In Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses (also called “Odysseus”) is about to sail previous a harmful island of Sirens who sing stunning music. This music is so stunning that anyone who hears it loses all management, and can sail towards the island, crashing their boat on the rocks surrounding the island.

Fortunately, our boy Uylsses has been suggested by the witch Circe on the one means he and his males can survive. In Madelline Miller’s ​Circe​, she recounts the recommendation Circe provides the captain:

“[For] the Sirens, there you might use your methods. Fill your males’s ears with wax, and depart your individual free. In case you tie your self to the mast, you might be the primary man to ever hear their track and inform the story.”

As creator Corey Doctorow factors out in ​a current publication​:

“Ulysses was robust sufficient to know that he would sometime be weak. He expressed his energy by guarding towards his weak point.

“Whenever you take some chance off the desk throughout a second of energy in recognition of some coming second of weak point.”

In different phrases, generally giving up on your self is essentially the most brave factor you are able to do. It asks you to just accept your weaknesses, and make a strategic pre-planned determination to guard towards them.

Ulysses Pacts In My Life

I’m a comical catastrophe trapped within the physique of an grownup who pretends to be a functioning member of society. I’m additionally my very own boss, fully answerable for my time. Yikes.

I battle with impulse management. There are particular experiences that I’m simply incapable of doing “just a little bit.” I additionally know that after I begin an pleasant exercise, it’s going to take over.

Which suggests it’s virtually not possible for me to solely do some issues “just a bit bit” after which say “okay that’s sufficient for right now.”

In spite of everything, I do know my mind isn’t geared up to deal with the lifetime of abundance we’re surrounded with: infinite distraction, hedonistic enjoyment, limitless meals, and so forth.

E.O. Wilson stated it greatest:

“The true downside of humanity is the next: We now have Paleolithic feelings, medieval establishments and godlike know-how.”

Fairly than lament my lack of willpower on the subject of addictive know-how, I ​follow acceptance​ and as an alternative make willpower pointless.

Thus, my life is held along with spit, duct tape, and Ulysses Pacts:

• I’ve an app on my telephone known as Opal. It mechanically prompts at 7AM and blocks sure apps, web sites, and all social media for a lot of the hours of the work day. I nonetheless choose up my telephone 10-20 instances per day and attempt to open these apps, after which I’m reminded to get again to work.
• I take advantage of a program on my laptop known as Focus. It mechanically prompts at 7AM and blocks virtually ANYTHING enjoyable or distracting on my laptop till the top of the work day.
• I don’t preserve snacks in my home. I like snacks. And as soon as a bag is open, it will get eaten. However once I’m sitting on the sofa watching TV (I simply completed Fallout and liked it), and I’m craving a snack, there’s no determination to be made. I’m definitely not going to drive to the shop.
• I don’t have any video games on my telephone. I do know that I can’t management any impulses, particularly for “gatcha” free video games that encourage you to purchase gems to degree up.
• I’m locked out of every social media app after quarter-hour day by day. Social Media has been designed by behavioral scientists, with billions of {dollars}, to be as addictive as doable. So I don’t attempt to “use it just a bit bit.” I merely don’t let myself use it for any longer than “just a little bit” as a result of I’m actually locked out.
• I don’t play multiplayer video games. I’ve no regulation round “okay I’m performed,” so I not play multiplayer video games. I wager if I performed World of Warcraft, you’d by no means get one other publication from me. Thus, I solely play single participant video games with a narrative or narrative.
• I mechanically donate to 2 charities each month: ProPublica investigative journalism and the Nashville Meals Kitchen. Each of those selections have been made ONCE, which implies I by no means have to recollect to donate, nor am I tempted to spend the cash as soon as it hits my account.
• Each time I’m going to the physician, dermatologist, or dentist, I all the time schedule my subsequent appointment whereas I’m there. As a result of I do know I’ll neglect to take action months later, or I’ll inform myself I don’t want to go. Future Steve will not wish to get his enamel cleaned or get bloodwork performed.
• My exercises are pre-scheduled in my calendar. I might a lot somewhat not work out, however I do know if I don’t plan for them in my calendar, one thing else way more enjoyable (however much less useful) will take their place.

The one motive you get this text each week, and the one motive I get to the fitness center just a few instances per week (along with ​successful the genetic and environmental lottery​), is due to these Ulysses Pacts.

Right here’s how you need to use them in your individual life.

You-lysses Pacts in Motion

Returning to Corey Doctorow:

“Ulysses pacts aren’t good, however they’re essential. On the very least, making a Ulysses pact begins with acknowledging that you’re fallible. Which you could be tempted, and rationalize your means into taking dangerous motion, even when you recognize higher.

Changing into an grownup is a technique of studying that your energy comes from seeing your weaknesses and defending your self and the individuals who belief you from them.”

Let’s see how we are able to add some Ulysses Pacts to your life.

To create your individual Ulysses Pact: search for alternatives to decide TODAY in a second of energy, to safeguard your self towards an anticipated second of weak point TOMORROW.

Even higher, search for alternatives to decide as soon as, and it prevents you from needing to make use of willpower to repeatedly do the correct factor sooner or later.

A number of extra examples:

• Resolve to not preserve problematic meals in the home as soon as, and also you don’t must spend all evening, each evening, deciding NOT to eat these meals.
• Resolve to mechanically donate to a trigger you like as soon as, and also you don’t have to recollect to not spend that cash on one thing else and donate every month.
• Delete and/or block social media and time-wasting video games in your telephone as soon as, and all of a sudden the choice to learn a e-book or go for a stroll somewhat than mindlessly scroll by means of TikTok or Instagram turns into a lot simpler.

Keep in mind, acknowledging and creating safeguards towards our weaknesses isn’t an indication of giving up or weak point.

It’s a brave signal of acceptance.

It’s additionally sensible.

What are the Ulysses Pacts you utilize in your individual life? Did this text encourage you to create one for your self?

Attain out and let me know!

-Steve