Ulysses Contract: Part 2

If you have read the last post and are curious to know how Ulysses Contract works in real life, here’s how you can leverage it.

 We all have a big fat ego and we want to protect it but let’s face it, we humans are very smart in some situations but are also extremely dumb in some situations. Especially when we are conflicted, indecisive and frequently go back and forth between our short-term and long-term goals. 

Examples? 

You are overweight, but you can't help gorging on the yummy, high-calorie black-forest pastry at your boss' birthday party! ' You want to wake up early tomorrow to attend a yoga session, but you binge on a Netflix series for 6 hours tonight!  You want to connect with your parents, but you suffer from 'FOMO' (Fear Of Missing Out) and your eyes are glued to the mobile screen to check the endless (and mostly useless) social media feed!  

Be honest (with yourself) and admit (to yourself) how many new-year resolutions you initiated for the well-being of the future-you, died prematurely because th  present-you got bored fast and refused to play along? 

All of the above are challenges faced by us in our daily life and many of us struggle to handle these dilemmas.

 Where lies the solution?  

The solution is not ‘inside’ (drawing on your willpower) but ‘outside’ (changing the environment).

 Remember what Ulysses did? The clue lies in my last post: “He realized that the future dumb Ulysses would be incapable to think and act rationally so he, the present smart Ulysses, took charge and structured the surroundings to prevent any future foolishness.”

So, if you think your ‘mobile dependency’ is bordering on addiction and you decide you badly need a ‘digital detox’-  what next? Don't draw on your willpower endlessly. Remember, it is a finite resource. Instead, simply go to Amazon and buy a ‘Phone Prison’! The box has a LED timer. You set it for say 30 minutes, put your phone inside, and put the lid down. You cannot access it for the next half an hour! How cool (or scary - depending on your point of view) is that! 

If you are frustrated that you are unable to achieve your personal or business goals as your present-self sabotages your future-self, don’t lose heart. You’re not alone. Millions are trying to find a solution. Go to www.stickK.com. This free mobile app created by behavioral economists at Yale University is a ‘commitment platform’ which first asks you “Ready to finally stickK to your Goals?” Once you commit to a specific goal and make it public (entering into a contract with your future-self) it provides you with specific tools and tips to keep you on track. Also, feeling a part of the community reduces one's feelings of helplessness and hopelessness too. It works great because publicly declaring that you are pursuing a goal puts positive pressure on you and you are more likely to follow up on that goal. 

Remember how I ended the last post?

 On 20th April 2022,  I publicly declared that I am going to write Ulysses Contract: Part 2. So, on the 20th April-Arijit entered into a contract with future-Arijit to deliver a blog post. 

I just delivered on that contract.

 Image courtesy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/youraccount/16165046077 (Under Creative Commons License)