Ulysses Contract

Few years ago when I joined a gym, I used to set an alarm 10 minutes earlier than my waking time. So I have 10 minutes extra to get up and about. Many people do this. But I noticed that those days when my kids had a holiday and I had a choice not to go to the gym then I would not get up. These 10 minutes made my mind think of few reasons to procrastinate. 

Then I read the story of the Odisseus in the book "Thinking in bets" by Anne Duke.

Odisseus in ancient times was a sailor who used "mental" travel before setting off on the real journey.He once heard about Siren Island. Whenever the sailors traveled to that part of the sea, they heard beautiful songs of Siren Island and steered their boat towards it. But the boat never reached the island, it was battered by the rocks around it.  Sailors never seemed to avoid Siren Island due to the sweet and melodious songs coming from it.

So Odisseus made a pact with his boatmen. He asked them pour beeswax into their ears so that they don't hear the melodious songs  coming from the island. Then he asked them to tie his hands to the steering wheel so that he couldn't change the direction but he could listen to the songs. This way he was able to travel safely.  This contract is known as Ulysses contract.

Ulysses contract is pact between present us, lock us in the decision in the future. In short prevent us in doing something stupid.

So I did Ulysses contract with myself, no 10 minutes earlier alarm anymore. I set alarm time which is my getting up time, so I don't get those 10 minutes and my brain doesn't convince me to not to get up. 

And it worked.  My gym going on the days when kids had holidays improved 90%. 

But true beauty of this Ulysses contract has helped me in the recent lock down period. Since my pact with my brain of getting up when alarm rings, I just get up everyday without thinking. And follow my daily exercise of yoga, floor and aerobics.